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diff --git a/22410.txt b/22410.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..949ff97 --- /dev/null +++ b/22410.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6393 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Crofton Boys, by Harriet Martineau + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Crofton Boys + +Author: Harriet Martineau + +Release Date: August 26, 2007 [EBook #22410] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CROFTON BOYS *** + + + + +Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Mary Meehan and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net +(This file was made using scans of public domain works in +the International Children's Digital Library.) + + + + + + + + + + THE CROFTON BOYS + + BY HARRIET MARTINEAU + +AUTHOR OF "THE PEASANT AND THE PRINCE," "FEATS ON THE FIORD," ETC., ETC. + + + + + LONDON + GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS + + BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL + NEW YORK: 9, LAFAYETTE PLACE + + Ballantyne Press + BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO., EDINBURGH + CHANDOS STREET, LONDON + + + + +[Illustration: The Crofton Boys.] + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + I. ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL + + II. WHY MR. TOOKE CAME + + III. MICHAELMAS-DAY COME + + IV. MICHAELMAS-DAY OVER + + V. CROFTON PLAY + + VI. FIRST RAMBLE + + VII. WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME + + VIII. A LONG DAY + + IX. CROFTON QUIET + + X. LITTLE VICTORIES + + XI. DOMESTIC MANNERS + + XII. HOLT AND HIS DIGNITY + + XIII. TRIPPING + + XIV. HOLT AND HIS HELP + + XV. CONCLUSION + + + + +THE CROFTON BOYS. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL. + + +Mr. Proctor, the chemist and druggist, kept his shop, and lived in the +Strand, London. His children thought that there was never anything +pleasanter than the way they lived. Their house was warm in winter, and +such a little distance from the church, that they had no difficulty in +getting to church and back again, in the worst weather, before their +shoes were wet. They were also conveniently near to Covent Garden +market; so that, if any friend dropped in to dinner unexpectedly, Jane +and Agnes could be off to the market, and buy a fowl, or some vegetables +or fruit, and be back again before they were missed. It was not even too +far for little Harry to trot with one of his sisters, early on a +summer's morning, to spend his penny (when he happened to have one) on a +bunch of flowers, to lay on papa's plate, to surprise him when he came +in to breakfast. Not much farther off was the Temple Garden, where Mrs. +Proctor took her children every fine summer evening to walk and breathe +the air from the river; and when Mr. Proctor could find time to come to +them for a turn or two before the younger ones must go home to bed, it +seemed to the whole party the happiest and most beautiful place in the +whole world,--except one. They had once been to Broadstairs, when the +children were in poor health after the measles: and for ever after, when +they thought of the waves beating on the shore, and of the pleasures of +growing strong and well among the sea-breezes, they felt that there +might be places more delightful than the Temple Garden: but they were +still very proud and fond of the grass and trees, and the gravel walks, +and the view over the Thames, and were pleased to show off the garden to +all friends from the country who came to visit them. + +The greatest privilege of all, however, was that they could see the +river without going out of their own house. There were three back +windows to the house, one above another; and from the two uppermost of +these windows there was what the children called a view of the Thames. +There was a gap of a few yards wide between two high brick houses: and +through this gap might be seen the broad river, with vessels of every +kind passing up or down. Outside the second window were some leads, +affording space for three or four chairs: and here it was that Jane and +Agnes liked to sit at work, on certain hours of fine days. There were +times when these leads were too hot, the heat of the sun being reflected +from the surrounding brick walls; but at an earlier hour before the +shadows were gone, and when the air blew in from the river, the place +was cool, and the little girls delighted to carry their stools to the +leads, and do their sewing there. There Philip would condescend to spend +a part of his mornings, in his Midsummer holidays, frightening his +sisters with climbing about in dangerous places, or amusing them with +stories of school-pranks, or raising his younger brother Hugh's envy of +the boys who were so happy as to be old enough to go to school at Mr. +Tooke's, at Crofton. + +The girls had no peace from their brothers climbing about in dangerous +places. Hugh was, if possible, worse than Philip for this. He imitated +all Philip's feats, and had some of his own besides. In answer to Jane's +lectures and the entreaties of Agnes, Hugh always declared that he had a +right to do such things, as he meant to be a soldier or a sailor; and +how should he be able to climb the mast of a ship, or the walls of a +city, if he did not begin to practise now? Agnes was almost sorry they +had been to Broadstairs, and could see ships in the Thames, when she +considered that, if Hugh had not seen so much of the world, he might +have been satisfied to be apprenticed to his father, when old enough, +and to have lived at home happily with his family. Jane advised Agnes +not to argue with Hugh, and then perhaps his wish to rove about the +world might go off. She had heard her father say that, when he was a +boy, and used to bring home news of victories, and help to put up +candles at the windows on illumination nights, he had a great fancy for +being a soldier; but that it was his fortune to see some soldiers from +Spain, and hear from them what war really was, just when peace came, and +when there was no more glory to be got; so that he had happily settled +down to be a London shop-keeper--a lot which he would not exchange with +that of any man living. Hugh was very like papa, Jane added; and the +same change might take place in his mind, if he was not made perverse by +argument. So Agnes only sighed, and bent her head closer over her work, +as she heard Hugh talk of the adventures he meant to have when he +should be old enough to get away from Old England. + +There was one person that laughed at Hugh for this fancy of his;--Miss +Harold, the daily governess, who came to keep school for three hours +every morning. When Hugh forgot his lesson, and sat staring at the upper +panes of the window, in a reverie about his future travels; or when he +was found to have been drawing a soldier on his slate instead of doing +his sum, Miss Harold reminded him what a pretty figure a soldier would +cut who knew no geography, or a sailor who could not make his +reckonings, for want of attending early to his arithmetic. Hugh could +not deny this; but he was always wishing that school-hours were over, +that he might get under the great dining-table to read Robinson Crusoe, +or might play at shipwreck, under pretence of amusing little Harry. It +did make him ashamed to see how his sisters got on, from the mere +pleasure of learning, and without any idea of ever living anywhere but +in London; while he, who seemed to have so much more reason for wanting +the very knowledge that they were obtaining, could not settle his mind +to his lessons. Jane was beginning to read French books for her +amusement in leisure hours; and Agnes was often found to have covered +two slates with sums in Practice, just for pleasure, while he could not +master the very moderate lessons Miss Harold set him. It is true, he was +two years younger than Agnes: but she had known more of everything that +he had learned, at seven years old, than he now did at eight. Hugh began +to feel very unhappy. He saw that Miss Harold was dissatisfied, and was +pretty sure that she had spoken to his mother about him. He felt that +his mother became more strict in making him sit down beside her, in the +afternoon, to learn his lessons for the next day; and he was pretty sure +that Agnes went out of the room because she could not help crying when +his sum was found to be all wrong, or when he mistook his tenses, or +when he said (as he did every day, though regularly warned to mind what +he was about) that four times seven is fifty-six. Every day these things +weighed more on Hugh's spirits; every day he felt more and more like a +dunce; and when Philip came home for the Midsummer holidays, and told +all manner of stories about all sorts of boys at school, without +describing anything like Hugh's troubles with Miss Harold, Hugh was +seized with a longing to go to Crofton at once, as he was certainly too +young to go at present into the way of a shipwreck or a battle. The +worst of it was, there was no prospect of his going yet to Crofton. In +Mr. Tooke's large school there was not one boy younger than ten; and +Philip believed that Mr. Tooke did not like to take little boys. Hugh +was aware that his father and mother meant to send him to school with +Philip by-and-by; but the idea of having to wait--to do his lessons with +Miss Harold every day till he should be ten years old, made him roll +himself on the parlour carpet in despair. + +Philip was between eleven and twelve. He was happy at school: and he +liked to talk all about it at home. These holidays, Hugh made a better +listener than even his sisters; and he was a more amusing one--he knew +so little about the country. He asked every question that could be +imagined about the playground at the Crofton school, and the boys' +doings out of school; and then, when Philip fancied he must know all +about what was done, out came some odd remark which showed what wrong +notions he had formed of a country life. Hugh had not learned half that +he wanted to know, and his little head was full of wonder and mysterious +notions, when the holidays came to an end, and Philip had to go away. +From that day Hugh was heard to talk less of Spain, and the sea, and +desert islands, and more of the Crofton boys; and his play with little +Harry was all of being at school. At his lessons, meantime, he did not +improve at all. + +One very warm day, at the end of August, five weeks after Philip had +returned to school, Miss Harold had stayed full ten minutes after twelve +o'clock to hear Hugh say one line of the multiplication-table over and +over again, to cure him of saying that four times seven is fifty-six; +but all in vain: and Mrs. Proctor had begged her not to spend any more +time to-day upon it. + +Miss Harold went away, the girls took their sewing, and sat down at +their mother's work-table, while Hugh was placed before her, with his +hands behind his back, and desired to look his mother full in the face, +to begin again with "four times one is four," and go through the line, +taking care what he was about. He did so; but before he came to four +times seven, he sighed, fidgetted, looked up at the corners of the room, +off into the work-basket, out into the street, and always, as if by a +spell, finished with "four times seven is fifty-six." Jane looked up +amazed--Agnes looked down ashamed; his mother looked with severity in +his face. He began the line a fourth time, when, at the third figure, he +started as if he had been shot. It was only a knock at the door that he +had heard; a treble knock, which startled nobody else, though, from the +parlour door being open, it sounded pretty loud. + +Mrs. Proctor spread a handkerchief over the stockings in her +work-basket; Jane put back a stray curl which had fallen over her face; +Agnes lifted up her head with a sigh, as if relieved that the +multiplication-table must stop for this time; and Hugh gazed into the +passage, through the open door, when he heard a man's step there. The +maid announced Mr. Tooke, of Crofton; and Mr. Tooke walked in. + +Mrs. Proctor had actually to push Hugh to one side,--so directly did he +stand in the way between her and her visitor. He stood, with his hands +still behind his back, gazing up at Mr. Tooke, with his face hotter than +the multiplication-table had ever made it, and his eyes staring quite as +earnestly as they had ever done to find Robinson Crusoe's island in the +map. + +"Go, child," said Mrs. Proctor: but this was not enough. Mr. Tooke +himself had to pass him under his left arm before he could shake hands +with Mrs. Proctor. Hugh was now covered with shame at this hint that he +was in the way; but yet he did not leave the room. He stole to the +window, and flung himself down on two chairs, as if looking into the +street from behind the blind; but he saw nothing that passed out of +doors, so eager was his hope of hearing something of the Crofton +boys,--their trap-ball, and their Saturday walk with the usher. Not a +word of this kind did he hear. As soon as Mr. Tooke had agreed to stay +to dinner, his sisters were desired to carry their work elsewhere,--to +the leads, if they liked; and he was told that he might go to play. He +had hoped he might be overlooked in the window; and unwillingly did he +put down first one leg and then the other from the chairs, and saunter +out of the room. He did not choose to go near his sisters, to be told +how stupidly he had stood in the gentleman's way; so, when he saw that +they were placing their stools on the leads, he went up into the attic, +and then down into the kitchen, to see where little Harry was, to play +at school-boys in the back yard. + +The maid Susan was not sorry that Harry was taken off her hands; for she +wished to rub up her spoons, and fill her castors afresh, for the sake +of the visitor who had come in. The thoughtful Jane soon came down with +the keys to get out a clean table-cloth, and order a dish of cutlets, in +addition to the dinner, and consult with Susan about some dessert; so +that, as the little boys looked up from their play, they saw Agnes +sitting alone at work upon the leads. + +They had played some time, Hugh acting a naughty boy who could not say +his Latin lesson to the usher, and little Harry punishing him with far +more words than a real usher uses on such an occasion, when they heard +Agnes calling them from above their heads. She was leaning over from the +leads, begging Hugh to come up to her,--that very moment. Harry must be +left below, as the leads were a forbidden place for him. So Harry went +to Jane, to see her dish up greengage plums which he must not touch: and +Hugh ran up the stairs. As he passed through the passage, his mother +called him. Full of some kind of hope (he did not himself know what), he +entered the parlour, and saw Mr. Tooke's eyes fixed on him. But his +mother only wanted him to shut the door as he passed; that was all. It +had stood open, as it usually did on warm days. Could his mother wish +it shut on account of anything she was saying? It was possible. + +"O Hugh!" exclaimed Agnes, as soon as he set foot on the leads. "What do +you think?--But is the parlour door shut? Who shut it?" + +"Mother bade me shut it, as I passed." + +"O dear!" said Agnes, in a tone of disappointment; "then she did not +mean us to hear what they were talking about." + +"What was it? Anything about the Crofton boys? Anything about Phil?" + +"I cannot tell you a word about it. Mamma did not know I heard them. How +plain one can hear what they say in that parlour, Hugh, when the door is +open! What do you think I heard mamma tell Mrs. Bicknor, last week, when +I was jumping Harry off the third stair?" + +"Never mind that. Tell me what they are talking about now. Do, Agnes." + +Agnes shook her head. + +"Now do, dear." + +It was hard for Agnes to refuse Hugh anything, at any time; more still +when he called her "dear," which he seldom did; and most of all when he +put his arm round her neck, as he did now. But she answered,-- + +"I should like to tell you every word; but I cannot now. Mamma has made +you shut the door. She does not wish you to hear it." + +"Me! Then will you tell Jane?" + +"Yes. I shall tell Jane, when we are with mamma at work." + +"That is too bad!" exclaimed Hugh, flinging himself down on the leads so +vehemently that his sister was afraid he would roll over into the yard. +"What does Jane care about Crofton and the boys to what I do?" + +"There is one boy there that Jane cares about more than you do, or I, or +anybody, except papa and mamma. Jane loves Phil." + +"O, then, what they are saying in the parlour is about Phil." + +"I did not say that." + +"You pretend you love me as Jane loves Phil! and now you are going to +tell her what you wont tell me! Agnes, I will tell you everything I know +all my whole life, if you will just whisper this now. Only just +whisper--Or, I will tell you what. I will guess and guess; and you can +nod or shake your head. That wont be telling." + +"For shame, Hugh! Phil would laugh at you for being a girl, if you are +so curious. What mamma told Mrs. Bicknor was that Jane was her right +hand. What do you think that meant exactly?" + +"That Jane might give you a good slap when you are so provoking," said +Hugh, rolling over and over, till his clothes were covered with dust, +and Agnes really thought once that he was fairly going over the edge +into the yard. + +"There is something that I can tell you, Hugh; something that I want to +tell you, and nobody else," said Agnes, glad to see him stop rolling +about, and raise himself on his dusty elbow to look at her. + +"Well, come, what is it?" + +"You must promise beforehand not to be angry." + +"Angry! when am I angry, pray? Come, tell me." + +"You must--you really must--I have a particular reason for saying +so--you must learn how much four times seven is. Now, remember, you +promised not to be angry." + +Hugh carried off his anger by balancing himself on his head, as if he +meant to send his heels over, but that there was no room. From upside +down, his voice was heard saying that he knew that as well as Agnes. + +"Well, then, how much is it?" + +"Twenty-eight, to be sure. Who does not know that?" + +"Then pray do not call it fifty-six any more. Miss Harold----" + +"There's the thing," said Hugh. "When Miss Harold is here, I can think +of nothing but fifty-six. It seems to sound in my ears, as if somebody +spoke it, 'four times seven is fifty-six.'" + +"You will make me get it by heart, too, if you say it so often," said +Agnes. "You had better say 'twenty-eight' over to yourself all day long. +You may say it to me as often as you like. I shall not get tired. Come, +begin now--'four times seven----'" + +"I have had enough of that for to-day--tiresome stuff! Now, I shall go +and play with Harry again." + +"But wait--just say that line once over, Hugh. I have a reason for +wishing it. I have, indeed." + +"Mother has been telling Mr. Tooke that I cannot say my +multiplication-table! Now, that is too bad!" exclaimed Hugh. "And they +will make me say it after dinner! What a shame!" + +"Why, Hugh! you know mamma does not like--you know mamma would not--you +know mamma never does anything unkind. You should not say such things, +Hugh." + +"Ay, there! you cannot say that she has not told Mr. Tooke that I say my +tables wrong." + +"Well--you know you always do say it wrong to her." + +"I will go somewhere. I will hide myself. I will run to the market while +the cloth is laying. I will get away, and not come back till Mr. Tooke +is gone. I will never say my multiplication-table to him!" + +"Never?" said Agnes, with an odd smile and a sigh. "However, do not talk +of running away, or hiding yourself. You will not have to say anything +to Mr. Tooke to-day." + +"How do you know?" + +"I feel sure you will not. I do not believe Mr. Tooke will talk to you, +or to any of us. There you go! You will be in the water-butt in a +minute, if you tumble so." + +"I don't care if I am. Mr. Tooke will not come there to hear me say my +tables. Let me go!" he cried, struggling, for now Agnes had caught him +by the ankle. "If I do tumble in, the water is not up to my chin, and it +will be a cool hiding-place this hot day." + +"But there is Susan gone to lay the cloth; and you must be brushed; for +you are all over dust. Come up, and I will brush you." + +Hugh was determined to have a little more dust first. He rolled once +more the whole length of the leads, turned over Jane's stool, and upset +her work-basket, so that her thimble bounded off to a far corner, and +the shirt-collar she was stitching fell over into the water-butt. + +"There! what will Jane say?" cried Agnes, picking up the basket, and +peeping over into the small part of the top of the water-butt which was +not covered. + +"There never was anything like boys for mischief," said the maid Susan, +who now appeared to pull Hugh in, and make him neat. Susan always found +time, between laying the cloth and bringing up dinner, to smooth Hugh's +hair, and give a particular lock a particular turn on his forehead with +a wet comb. + +"Let that alone," said Hugh, as Agnes peeped into the butt after the +drowning collar. "I will have the top off this afternoon, and it will +make good fishing for Harry and me." + +Agnes had to let the matter alone; for Hugh was so dusty that she had to +brush one side of him while Susan did the other. Susan gave him some +hard knocks while she assured him that he was not going to have Harry up +on the leads to learn his tricks, or to be drowned. She hardly knew +which of the two would be the worst for Harry. It was lucky for Hugh +that Susan was wanted below directly, for she scolded him the whole time +she was parting and smoothing his hair. When it was done, however, and +the wet lock on his forehead took the right turn at once, she gave him a +kiss in the very middle of it, and said she knew he would be a good boy +before the gentleman from the country. + +Hugh would not go in with Agnes, because he knew Mr. Tooke would shake +hands with her, and take notice of any one who was with her. He waited +in the passage till Susan carried in the fish, when he entered behind +her, and slipped to the window till the party took their seats, when he +hoped Mr. Tooke would not observe who sat between Agnes and his father. +But the very first thing his father did was to pull his head back by the +hair behind, and ask him whether he had persuaded Mr. Tooke to tell him +all about the Crofton boys. + +Hugh did not wish to make any answer; but his father said "Eh?" and he +thought he must speak; so he said that Phil had told him all he wanted +to know about the Crofton boys. + +"Then you can get Mr. Tooke to tell you about Phil, if you want nothing +else," said Mr. Proctor. + +Mr. Tooke nodded and smiled; but Hugh began to hand plates with all his +might, he was so afraid that the next thing would be a question how much +four times seven was. + +The dinner went on, however; and the fish was eaten, and the meat, and +the pudding; and the dessert was on the table, without any one having +even alluded to the multiplication-table. Before this time, Hugh had +become quite at his ease, and had looked at Mr. Tooke till he knew his +face quite well. + +Soon after dinner Mr. Proctor was called away upon business; and Hugh +slipped into his father's arm chair, and crossed one leg over the other +knee, as he leaned back at his leisure, listening to Mr. Tooke's +conversation with his mother about the sort of education that he +considered most fit for some boys from India, who had only a certain +time to devote to school-learning. In the course of this conversation +some curious things dropped about the curiosity of children from India +about some things very common here;--their wonder at snow and ice, their +delight at being able to slide in the winter, and their curiosity about +the harvest and gleaning, now approaching. Mr. Proctor came back just as +Mr. Tooke was telling of the annual holiday of the boys at harvest-time, +when they gleaned for the poor of the village. As Hugh had never seen a +corn-field, he had no very clear idea of harvest and gleaning; and he +wanted to hear all he could. When obliged to turn out of the arm-chair, +he drew a stool between his mother and Mr. Tooke: and presently he was +leaning on his arms on the table, with his face close to Mr. Tooke's, as +if swallowing the gentleman's words as they fell. This was inconvenient; +and his mother made him draw back his stool a good way. Though he could +hear very well, Hugh did not like this, and he slipped off his stool, +and came closer and closer. + +"And did you say," asked Mr. Proctor, "that your youngest pupil is +nine?" + +"Just nine;--the age of my own boy. I could have wished to have none +under ten, for the reason you know of. But----" + +"I wish," cried Hugh, thrusting himself in so that Mr. Tooke saw the boy +had a mind to sit on his knee,--"I wish you would take boys at eight and +a quarter." + +"That is your age," said Mr. Tooke, smiling and making room between his +knees. + +"How did you know? Mother told you." + +"No; indeed she did not,--not exactly. My boy was eight and a quarter +not very long ago; and he----" + +"Did he like being in your school?" + +"He always seemed very happy there, though he was so much the youngest. +And they teased him sometimes for being the youngest. Now you know, if +you came, you would be the youngest, and they might tease you for it." + +"I don't think I should mind that. What sort of teasing, though?" + +"Trying whether he was afraid of things." + +"What sort of things?" + +"Being on the top of a wall, or up in a tree. And then they sent him +errands when he was tired, or when he wanted to be doing something +else. They tried too whether he could bear some rough things without +telling." + +"And did he?" + +"Yes, generally. On the whole, very well. I see they think him a brave +boy now." + +"I think I could. But do not you really take boys as young as I am?" + +"Such is really my rule." + +It was very provoking, but Hugh was here called away to fish up Jane's +work out of the water-butt. As he had put it in, he was the proper +person to get it out. He thought he should have liked the fun of it; but +now he was in a great hurry back, to hear Mr. Tooke talk. It really +seemed as if the shirt-collar was alive, it always slipped away so when +he thought he had it. Jane kept him to the job till he brought up her +work, dripping and soiled. By that time tea was ready,--an early tea, +because Mr. Tooke had to go away. Whatever was said at tea was about +politics, and about a new black dye which some chemist had discovered; +and Mr. Tooke went away directly after. + +He turned round full upon Hugh, just as he was going. Hugh stepped back, +for it flashed upon him that he was now to be asked how much four times +seven was. But Mr. Tooke only shook hands with him, and bade him grow +older as fast as he could. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +WHY MR. TOOKE CAME. + + +After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day. +They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. +Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day +being finished. He liked to find his children at liberty for a little +play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, +for a dance to the music of his violin. Little Harry had been known to +be kept up far too late, that he might hear the violin, and that his +papa might enjoy the fun of seeing him run about among the rest, putting +them all out, and fancying he was dancing. All believed there would be +time for play with papa to-night, tea had been so much earlier than +usual. But Agnes soon feared there would be no play for Hugh. Though +Jane pored over her German, twisting her forefinger in the particular +curl which she always twisted when she was deep in her lessons; though +Agnes rocked herself on her chair, as she always did when she was +learning by heart; and though Mrs. Proctor kept Harry quiet at the other +end of the room with telling him long stories, in a very low voice, +about the elephant and Brighton pier, in the picture-book, Hugh could +not learn his capital cities. He even spoke out twice, and stopped +himself when he saw all the heads in the room raised in surprise. Then +he set himself to work again, and he said "Copenhagen" so often over +that he was not likely to forget the word; but what country it belonged +to he could not fix in his mind, though Agnes wrote it down large on the +slate, in hopes that the sight of the letters would help him to +remember. Before he had got on to "Constantinople," the well-known sound +was heard of the shop-boy taking the shop-shutters out of their +day-place, and Mr. Proctor would certainly be coming presently. Jane +closed her dictionary, and shook back her curls from over her eyes; Mrs. +Proctor put down Harry from her lap, and let him call for papa as loud +as he would; and papa came bustling in, and gave Harry a long toss, and +several topplings over his shoulder, and yet Hugh was not ready. + +"Come, children," said Mr. Proctor to Agnes and Hugh, "we have all done +enough for to-day. Away with books and slates!" + +"But, papa," said Agnes, "Hugh has not quite done. If he might have just +five minutes more, Miss Harold----" + +"Never mind what Miss Harold says! That is, you girls must; but between +this and Michaelmas----" + +He stopped short, and the girls saw that it was a sign from their mother +that made him do so. He immediately proceeded to make so much noise with +Harry, that Hugh discovered nothing more than that he might put away his +books, and not mind Miss Harold this time. If she asked him to-morrow +why he had not got down to "Constantinople," he could tell her exactly +what his father had said. So, merry was Hugh's play this evening. He +stood so perfectly upright on his father's shoulders, that he could +reach the top of his grandmamma's picture, and show by his finger-ends +how thick the dust lay upon the frame: and neither he nor his father +minded being told that he was far too old for such play. + +In the midst of the fun, Hugh had a misgiving, more than once, of his +mother having something severe to say to him when she should come up to +his room, to hear him say his prayer, and to look back a little with him +upon the events of the day. Besides his consciousness that he had done +nothing well this day, there were grave looks from his mother which made +him think that she was not pleased with him. When he was undressing, +therefore, he listened with some anxiety for her footsteps, and, when +she appeared, he was ready with his confession of idleness. She stopped +him in the beginning, saying that she had rather not hear any more such +confessions. She had listened to too many, and had allowed him to spend +in confessions some of the strength which should have been applied to +mending his faults. For the present, while she was preparing a way to +help him to conquer his inattention, she advised him to say nothing to +her, or to any one else, on the subject; but this need not prevent him +from praying to God to give him strength to overcome his great fault. + +"Oh, mother! mother!" cried Hugh, in an agony, "you give me up! What +shall I do if you will not help me any more?" + +His mother smiled, and told him he need not fear any such thing. It +would be very cruel to leave off providing him with food and clothes, +because it gave trouble to do so; and it would be far more cruel to +abandon him to his faults, for such a reason. She would never cease to +help him till they were cured: but, as all means yet tried had failed, +she must plan some others; and meantime she did not wish him to become +hardened to his faults, by talking about them every night, when there +was no amendment during the day. + +Though she spoke very kindly, and kissed him before she went away, Hugh +felt that he was punished. He felt more unhappy than if his mother had +told him all she thought of his idleness. Though his mother had told him +to go to sleep, and blessed him, he could not help crying a little, and +wishing that he was a Crofton boy. He supposed the Crofton boys all got +their lessons done somehow, as a matter of course; and then they could +go to sleep without any uncomfortable feelings or any tears. + +In the morning all these thoughts were gone. He had something else to +think about; for he had to play with Harry, and take care of him, while +Susan swept and dusted the parlour: and Harry was bent upon going into +the shop--a place where, according to the rule of the house, no child of +the family was ever to set foot, till it was old enough to be trusted: +nor to taste anything there, asked or unasked. There were some poisonous +things in the shop, and some few nice syrups and gums; and no child +could be safe and well there who could not let alone whatever might be +left on the counter, or refuse any nice taste that a good-natured +shopman might offer. Harry was, as yet, far too young; but, as often as +the cook washed the floor-cloth in the passage, so that the inner shop +door had to be opened, Master Harry was seized with an unconquerable +desire to go and see the blue and red glass bowls which he was permitted +to admire from the street, as he went out and came in from his walks. +Mr. Proctor came down this morning as Hugh was catching Harry in the +passage. He snatched up his boys, packed one under each arm, and ran +with them into the yard, where he rolled Harry up in a new mat, which +the cook was going to lay at the house-door. + +"There!" said he. "Keep him fast, Hugh, till the passage-door is shut. +What shall we do with the rogue when you are at Crofton, I wonder?" + +"Why, papa! he will be big enough to take care of himself by that time." + +"Bless me! I forgot again," exclaimed Mr. Proctor, as he made haste away +into the shop. + +Before long, Harry was safe under the attraction of his basin of bread +and milk; and Hugh fell into a reverie at the breakfast-table, keeping +his spoon suspended in his hand as he looked up at the windows, without +seeing anything. Jane asked him twice to hand the butter before he +heard. + +"He is thinking how much four times seven is," observed Mr. Proctor: and +Hugh started at the words. + +"I tell you what, Hugh," continued his father; "if the Crofton people do +not teach you how much four times seven is when you come within four +weeks of next Christmas day, I shall give you up, and them too, for +dunces all." + +All the eyes round the table were fixed on Mr. Proctor in an instant. + +"There now!" said he, "I have let the cat out of the bag. Look at +Agnes!" and he pinched her crimson cheek. + +Everybody then looked at Agnes, except Harry, who was busy looking for +the cat which papa said had come out of mamma's work-bag. Agnes could +not bear the gaze, and burst into tears. + +"Agnes has taken more pains to keep the secret than her papa," said Mrs. +Proctor. "The secret is, that Hugh is going to Crofton next month." + +"Am I ten, then?" asked Hugh, in his hurry and surprise. + +"Scarcely; since you were only eight and a quarter yesterday afternoon," +replied his father. + +"I will tell you all about it by-and-by, my dear," said his mother. Her +glance towards Agnes made all the rest understand that they had better +speak of something else now. So Mr. Proctor beckoned Harry to come and +see whether the cat had not got into the bag again, as she was not to be +seen anywhere else. It is true, the bag was not much bigger than a cat's +head; but that did not matter to Harry, who never cared for that sort of +consideration, and had been busy for half an hour, the day before, in +trying to put the key of the house-door into the key-hole of the +tea-caddy. + +By the time Agnes had recovered herself, and the table was cleared, Miss +Harold had arrived. Hugh brought his books with the rest, but, instead +of opening them, rested his elbow on the uppermost, and stared full at +Miss Harold. + +"Well, Hugh!" said she, smiling. + +"I have not learned quite down to 'Constantinople,'" said he. "Papa told +me I need not, and not to mind you." + +"Why, Hugh! hush!" cried Jane. + +"He did,--he said exactly that. But he meant, Miss Harold, that I am to +be a Crofton boy,--directly, next month." + +"Then have we done with one another, Hugh?" asked Miss Harold, gently. +"Will you not learn any more from me?" + +"That is for your choice, Miss Harold," observed Mr. Proctor. "Hugh has +not deserved the pains you have taken with him: and if you decline more +trouble with him now he is going into other hands, no one can wonder." + +Miss Harold feared that he was but poorly prepared for school, and was +quite ready to help him, if he would give his mind to the effort. She +thought that play, or reading books that he liked, was less waste of +time than his common way of doing his lessons; but if he was disposed +really to work, with the expectation of Crofton before him, she was +ready to do her best to prepare him for the real hard work he would have +to do there. + +His mother proposed that he should have time to consider whether he +would have a month's holiday, or a month's work, before leaving home. +She had to go out this morning. He might go with her, if he liked; and, +as they returned, they would sit down in the Temple Garden, and she +would tell him all about the plan. + +Hugh liked this beginning of his new prospects. He ran to be made neat +for his walk with his mother. He knew he must have the wet curl on his +forehead twice over to-day; but he comforted himself with hoping that +there would be no time at Crofton for him to be kept standing, to have +his hair done so particularly, and to be scolded all the while, and then +kissed, like a baby, at the end. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +MICHAELMAS-DAY COME. + + +Hugh was about to ask his mother, again and again during their walk, why +Mr. Tooke let him go to Crofton before he was ten; but Mrs. Proctor was +grave and silent; and though she spoke kindly to him now and then, she +did not seem disposed to talk. At last, they were in the Temple Garden; +and they sat down where there was no one to overhear them; and then Hugh +looked up at his mother. She saw, and told him, what it was that he +wanted to ask. + +"It is on account of the little boys themselves," said she, "that Mr. +Tooke does not wish to have them very young, now that there is no kind +lady in the house who could be like a mother to them." + +"But there is Mrs. Watson. Phil has told me a hundred things about Mrs. +Watson." + +"Mrs. Watson is the housekeeper. She is careful, I know, about the boys' +health and comfort; but she has no time to attend to the younger ones, +as Mrs. Tooke did,--hearing their little troubles, and being a friend to +them like their mothers at home." + +"There is Phil----" + +"Yes. You will have Phil to look to. But neither Phil, nor any one else, +can save you from some troubles you are likely to have from being the +youngest." + +"Such as Mr. Tooke told me his boy had;--being put on the top of a high +wall, and plagued when he was tired: and all that. I don't think I +should much mind those things." + +"So we hope, and so we believe. Your fault is not cowardice----" + +Mrs. Proctor so seldom praised anybody that her words of esteem went a +great way. Hugh first looked up at her and then down on the grass,--his +cheeks glowed so. She went on-- + +"You have faults,--faults which give your father and me great pain; and +though, you are not cowardly about being hurt in your body, you sadly +want courage of a better kind,--courage to mend the weakness of your +mind. You are so young that we are sorry for you, and mean to send you +where the example of other boys may give you the resolution you want so +much." + +"All the boys learn their lessons at Crofton," observed Hugh. + +"Yes; but not by magic. They have to give their minds to their work. You +will find it painful and difficult to learn this, after your idle habits +at home. I give you warning that you will find it much more difficult +than you suppose; and I should not wonder if you wish yourself at home +with Miss Harold many times before Christmas." + +Mrs. Proctor was not unkind in saying this. She saw that Hugh was so +delighted about going that nothing would depress his spirits, and that +the chief fear was his being disappointed and unhappy when she should be +far away. It might then be some consolation to him to remember that she +was aware of what he would have to go through. He now smiled, and said +he did not think he should ever wish to say his lessons to Miss Harold, +as long as he lived. Then it quickly passed through his mind that, +instead of the leads and the little yard, there would be the playground; +and instead of the church bells, the rooks; and instead of Susan with +her washing and combing, and scolding and kissing, there would be plenty +of boys to play with. As he thought of these things, he started up, and +toppled head over heels on the grass, and then was up by his mother's +side again, saying that he did not care about anything that was to +happen at Crofton;--he was not afraid,--not even of the usher, though +Phil could not bear him. + +"If you can bring yourself to learn your lessons well," said his mother, +"you need not fear the usher. But remember, it depends upon that. You +will do well enough in the playground, I have no doubt." + +After this, there was only to settle the time that was to pass--the +weeks, days, and hours before Michaelmas-day; and whether these weeks +and days should be employed in preparing for Crofton under Miss Harold, +or whether he should take his chance there unprepared as he was. Mrs. +Proctor saw that his habits of inattention were so fixed, and his +disgust at lessons in the parlour so strong, that she encouraged his +doing no lessons in the interval. Hugh would have said beforehand that +three weeks' liberty to read voyages and travels, and play with Harry, +would have made him perfectly happy; but he felt that there was some +disgrace mixed up with his holiday, and that everybody would look upon +him with a sort of pity, instead of wishing him joy; and this spoiled +his pleasure a good deal. When he came home from his walk, Agnes thought +he looked less happy than when he went out; and she feared his spirits +were down about Crofton. + +His spirits were up and down many times during the next three weeks. He +thought these weeks would never be over. Every day dragged on more +slowly than the last; at every meal he was less inclined to eat; and his +happiest time was when going to bed, because he was a day nearer +Crofton. His mother, foreseeing just what happened, wished to have kept +the news from him till within a week of his departure, and had agreed +with Mr. Proctor that it should be so. But Mr. Proctor hated secrets, +and, as we see, let it out immediately. + +At last, the day came;--a warm, sunny, autumn day, on which any one +might have enjoyed the prospect of a drive into the country. The coach +was to set off from an inn in Fleet-street at noon, and would set Hugh +down at his uncle's door in time for dinner, the distance being +twenty-eight miles. His uncle's house was just two miles from the +school. Phil would probably be there to meet his brother, and take him +to Crofton in the afternoon. + +How to get rid of the hours till noon was the question. Hugh had had +everything packed up, over which he had any control, for some days. He +had not left himself a plaything of those which he might carry: and it +frightened him that his mother did not seem to think of packing his +clothes till after breakfast this very morning. When she entered his +room for the purpose, he was fidgeting about, saying to himself that he +should never be ready. Agnes came with her mother, to help: but before +the second shirt was laid in the box, she was in tears, and had to go +away; for every one in the house was in the habit of hiding tears from +Mrs. Proctor, who rarely shed them herself, and was known to think that +they might, generally be suppressed, and should be so. + +As Hugh stood beside her, handing stockings and handkerchiefs, to fill +up the corners of the box, she spoke as she might not have done if they +had not been alone. She said but a few words; but Hugh never forgot +them. + +"You know, my dear," said she, "that I do not approve of dwelling upon +troubles. You know I never encourage my children to fret about what +cannot be helped." + +There was nothing in the world that Hugh was more certain of than this. + +"And yet I tell you," she continued, "that you will not be nearly so +happy at Crofton as you expect--at least, at first. It grieves me to see +you so full of expectation----" + +"Does it indeed, mother?" + +"It does indeed. But my comfort is----" + +"You think I can bear it," cried Hugh, holding up his head. "You think I +can bear anything." + +"I think you are a brave boy, on the whole. But that is not the comfort +I was speaking of; for there is a world of troubles too heavy for the +bravery of a thoughtless child, like you. My comfort is, my dear, that +you know where to go for strength when your heart fails you. You will be +away from your father and me; but a far wiser and kinder parent will be +always with you. If I were not sure that you would continually open your +heart to Him, I could not let you go from me." + +"I will--I always do," said Hugh, in a low voice. + +"Then remember this, my boy. If you have that help, _you must not fail_. +Knowing that you have that help, I expect of you that you do your own +duty, and bear your own troubles, like a man. If you were to be all +alone in the new world you are going to, you would be but a helpless +child: but remember, when a child makes God his friend, God puts into +the youngest and weakest the spirit of a man." + +"You will ask Him too, mother;--you will pray Him to make me brave, +and--and----" + +"And what else?" she inquired, fixing her eyes upon him. + +"And steady," replied Hugh, casting down, his eyes; "for that is what I +want most of all." + +"It is," replied his mother. "I do, and always will, pray for you." + +Not another word was said till they went down into the parlour. Though +it was only eleven o'clock, Miss Harold was putting on her bonnet to go +away: and there was a plate of bread and cheese on the table. + +"Lunch!" said Hugh, turning away with disgust. + +"Do eat it," said Agnes, who had brought it. "You had no breakfast, you +know." + +"Because I did not want it; and I can't eat anything now." + +Jane made a sign to Agnes to take the plate out of sight: and she put +some biscuits into a paper bag, that he might eat on the road, if he +should become hungry. + +Neither Miss Harold nor Hugh could possibly feel any grief at parting; +for they had had little satisfaction together; but she said very kindly +that she should hope to hear often of him, and wished he might be happy +as a Crofton boy. Hugh could hardly answer her;--so amazed was he to +find that his sisters were giving up an hour of their lessons on his +account,--that they might go with him to the coach!--And then Susan came +in, about the cord for his box, and her eyes were red:--and, at the +sight of her, Agnes began to cry again; and Jane bent down her head over +the glove she was mending for him, and her needle stopped. + +"Jane," said her mother, gravely, "if you are not mending that glove, +give it to me. It is getting late." + +Jane brushed her hand across her eyes, and stitched away again. Then, +she threw the gloves to Hugh without looking at him, and ran to get +ready to go to the coach. + +The bustle of the inn-yard would not do for little Harry. He could not +go. Hugh was extremely surprised to find that all the rest were +going;--that even his father was smoothing his hat in the passage for +the walk,--really leaving the shop at noon on his account! The porter +was at his service too,--waiting for his box! It was very odd to feel of +such consequence. + +Hugh ran down to bid the maids good-bye. The cook had cut a sandwich, +which she thrust into his pocket, though he told her he had some +biscuits. Susan cried so that little Harry stood grave and wondering. +Susan sobbed out that she knew he did not care a bit about leaving home +and everybody. Hugh wished she would not say so, though he felt it was +true, and wondered at it himself. Mr. Proctor heard Susan's +lamentations, and called to her from the passage above not to make +herself unhappy about that; for the time would soon come when Hugh would +be homesick enough. + +Mr. Blake, the shopman, came to the shop-door as they passed, and bowed +and smiled; and the boy put himself in the way, with a broad grin: and +then the party walked on quickly. + +The sun seemed to Hugh to glare very much; and he thought he had never +known the streets so noisy, or the people so pushing. The truth was, his +heart was beating so he could scarcely see: and yet he was so busy +looking about him for a sight of the river, and everything he wished to +bid good-bye to, that his father, who held him fast by the hand, shook +him more than once, and told him he would run everybody down if he +could,--to judge by his way of walking. He must learn to march better, +if he was to be a soldier; and to steer, if he was to be a sailor. + +There were just two minutes to spare when they reached the inn-yard. The +horses were pawing and fidgeting, and some of the passengers had +mounted: so Mr. Proctor said he would seat the boy at once. He spoke to +two men who were on the roof, just behind the coachman; and they agreed +to let Hugh sit between them, on the assurance that the driver would +look to his concerns, and see that he was set down at the right place. + +"Now, my boy, up with you!" said his father, as he turned from speaking +to these men. Hugh was so eager, that he put up his foot to mount, +without remembering to bid his mother and sisters good-bye. Mr. Proctor +laughed at this; and nobody wondered; but Agnes cried bitterly; and she +could not forget it, from that time till she saw her brother again. When +they had all kissed him, and his mother's earnest look had bidden him +remember what had passed between them that morning, he was lifted up by +his father, and received by the two men, between whom he found a safe +seat. + +Then he wished they were off. It was uncomfortable to see his sisters +crying there, and not to be able to cry too, or to speak to them. When +the coachman was drawing on his second glove, and the ostlers held each +a hand to pull off the horse-cloths, and the last moment was come, Mr. +Proctor swung himself up by the step, to say one thing more. It was-- + +"I say, Hugh,--can you tell me,--how much is four times seven?" + +Mrs. Proctor pulled her husband's coat-tail, and he leaped down, the +horses' feet scrambled, their heads issued from the gate-way of the +inn-yard, and Hugh's family were left behind. In the midst of the noise, +the man on Hugh's right hand said to the one on his left, + +"There is some joke in that last remark, I imagine." + +The other man nodded; and then there was no more speaking till they were +off the stones. When the clatter was over, and the coach began to roll +along the smooth road, Hugh's neighbour repeated, + +"There was some joke, I fancy, in that last remark of your father's." + +"Yes," said Hugh. + +"Are you in the habit of saying the multiplication-table when you +travel?" said the other. "If so, we shall be happy to hear it." + +"Exceedingly happy," observed the first. + +"I never say it when I can help it," said Hugh; "and I see no occasion +now." + +The men laughed, and then asked him if he was going far. + +"To Crofton. I am going to be a Crofton boy," said Hugh. + +"A what? Where is he going?" his companions asked one another over his +head. They were no wiser when Hugh repeated what he had said; nor could +the coachman enlighten them. He only knew that he was to put the boy +down at Shaw's, the great miller's, near thirty miles along the road. + +"Eight-and-twenty," said Hugh, in correction; "and Crofton is two miles +from my uncle's." + +"Eight-and-twenty. The father's joke lies there," observed the +right-hand man. + +"No, it does not," said Hugh. He thought he was among a set of very odd +people,--none of them knowing what a Crofton boy was. A passenger who +sat beside the coachman only smiled when he was appealed to; so it might +be concluded that he was ignorant too; and the right and left-hand men +seemed so anxious for information, that Hugh told them all he +knew;--about the orchard and the avenue, and the pond on the heath, and +the playground; and Mrs. Watson, and the usher, and Phil, and Joe Cape, +and Tony Nelson, and several others of the boys. + +One of the men asked him if he was sure he was going for the first +time,--he seemed so thoroughly informed of everything about Crofton. +Hugh replied that it was a good thing to have an elder brother like +Phil. Phil had told him just what to take to Crofton, and how to take +care of his money, and everything. + +"Ay! and how do the Crofton boys take care of their money?" + +Hugh showed a curious little inner pocket in his jacket, which nobody +would dream of that did not know. His mother had let him have such a +pocket in both his jackets; and he had wanted to have all his money in +this one now, to show how safely he could carry it. But his mother had +chosen to pack up all his five shillings in his box,--that square box, +with the new brass lock, on the top of all the luggage. In this pocket +there was only sixpence now,--the sixpence he was to give the coachman +when he was set down. + +Then he went on to explain that this sixpence was not out of his own +money, but given him by his father, expressly for the coachman. Then +his right-hand companion congratulated him upon his spirits, and began +to punch and tickle him; and when Hugh writhed himself about, because he +could not bear tickling, the coachman said he would have no such doings, +and bade them be quiet. Then the passengers seemed to forget Hugh, and +talked to one another of the harvest in the north, and the hopping in +Kent. Hugh listened about the hopping, supposing it might be some new +game, as good as leap-frog; though it seemed strange that one farmer +should begin hopping on Monday, and that another should fix Thursday; +and that both should be so extremely anxious about the weather. But when +he found it was some sort of harvest-work, he left off listening, and +gave all his attention to the country sights that were about him. He did +not grow tired of the gardens, gay with dahlias and hollyhocks, and +asters: nor of the orchards, where the ladder against the tree, and the +basket under, showed that apple-gathering was going on; nor of the nooks +in the fields, where blackberries were ripening; nor of the chequered +sunlight and shadow which lay upon the road; nor of the breezy heath +where the blue ponds were ruffled; nor of the pleasant grove where the +leaves were beginning to show a tinge of yellow and red, here and there +among the green. Silently he enjoyed all these things, only awakening +from them when there was a stop to change horses. + +He was not thinking of time or distance when he saw the coachman glance +round at him, and felt that the speed of the horses was slackening. +Still he had no idea that this was any concern of his, till he saw +something that made him start, + +"Why, there's Phil!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. + +"This is Shaw's mill, and there is Shaw; which is all I have to do +with," said the coachman, as he pulled up. + +Hugh was soon down, with his uncle and Phil, and one of the men from the +mill to help. His aunt was at the window too; so that altogether Hugh +forgot to thank his companions for his safe seat. He would have +forgotten his box, but for the coachman. One thing more he also forgot. + +"I say, young master," said the driver; "remember the coachman. Where's +your sixpence?" + +"Oh, my sixpence!" cried Hugh, throwing down what he held, to feel in +his curious inner pocket, which was empty. + +"Lest you find a hole in your pocket, here is a sixpence for you," cried +the right-hand passenger, tossing him his own sixpence. "Thank you for +teaching us the secret of such a curious pocket." + +The coachman was impatient, got his money, and drove off, leaving Hugh +to make out why he had been tickled, and how his money had changed +hands. With a very red face, he declared it was too bad of the man: but +the man was out of his hearing, and could never know how angry he was. + +"A pretty story this is for our usher to have against you, to begin +with," was Phil's consolation. "Every boy will know it before you show +yourself; and you will never hear the last of it, I can tell you." + +"Your usher!" exclaimed Hugh, bewildered. + +"Yes, our usher. That was he on the box, beside coachee. Did not you +find out that much in all these eight-and-twenty miles?" + +"How should I? He never told me." + +Hugh could hardly speak to his uncle and aunt, he was so taken up with +trying to remember what he had said, in the usher's hearing, of the +usher himself, and everybody at Crofton. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +MICHAELMAS-DAY OVER. + + +Mrs. Shaw ordered dinner presently; and while it was being served, she +desired Phil to brush his brother's clothes, as they were dusty from his +ride. All the while he was brushing (which he did very roughly), and all +the first part of dinner-time, Phil continued to tease Hugh about what +he had said on the top of the coach. Mrs. Shaw spoke of the imprudence +of talking freely before strangers; and Hugh could have told her that he +did not need such a lecture at the very time that he found the same +thing by his experience. He did wish Phil would stop. If anybody should +ask him a question, he could not answer without crying. Then he +remembered how his mother expected him to bear things; and he almost +wished he was at home with her now, after all his longing to be away. +This thought nearly made him cry again; so he tried to dwell on how his +mother would expect him to bear things: but neither of them had thought +that morning, beside his box, that the first trial would come from Phil. +This again made him so nearly cry that his uncle observed his twitching +face, and, without noticing him, said that he, for his part, did not +want to see little boys wise before they had time to learn; and that the +most silent companion he had ever been shut up with in a coach was +certainly the least agreeable: and he went on to relate an adventure +which has happened to more persons than one. He had found the gentleman +in the corner, with the shaggy coat, to be a bear--a tame bear, which +had to take the quickest mode of conveyance, in order to be at a distant +fair in good time. Mr. Shaw spun out his story, so that Hugh quite +recovered himself, and laughed as much as anybody at his uncle having +formed a bad opinion of Bruin in the early twilight, for his incivility +in not bowing to the passenger who left the coach. + +After dinner, Phil thought it time to be off to Crofton. He had missed +something by coming away at all to-day; and he was not going to run the +chance of losing the top of the class by not having time to do his +Sallust properly. Mrs. Shaw said they must have some of her plums before +they went, and a glass of wine; and Mr. Shaw ordered the gig, saying he +would drive them, and thus no time would be lost, though he hoped Phil +would not mind being at the bottom of every class for once to help his +brother, seeing how soon a diligent boy might work his way up again. +Phil replied that that was not so easy as people might think, when there +was one like Joe Cape determined to keep him down, if he could once get +him down. + +"I hope you will find time to help Hugh up from the bottom, in a class +or two," said Mr. Shaw. "You will not be too busy about your own affairs +to look to his I suppose." + +"Where is the use of my meddling?" said Phil. "He can't rise for years +to come. Besides----" + +"Why can't I rise?" exclaimed Hugh, with glowing cheeks. + +"That is right, Hugh," said his uncle. "Let nobody prophesy for you till +you show what you can do." + +"Why, uncle, he is nearly two years younger than any boy in the school; +and----" + +"And there is little Page above you in algebra. He is about two years +younger than you, Phil, if I remember right." + +Hugh could not help clapping his hands at the prospect this held out to +him. Phil took the act for triumphing over him, and went on to say, very +insultingly, that a little fellow who had been brought up among the +girls all his life, and had learned of nobody but Miss Harold, could not +be expected to cut any figure among boys. Hugh looked so grieved for a +moment, and then suddenly so relieved, that his kind uncle wondered what +was in his mind. He took the boy between his knees and asked him. + +Hugh loved his uncle already, as if he had always known him. He put his +arms round his neck, and whispered in his ear what he was thinking +of;--his mother's saying that God could and would, if He was sought, put +the spirit of a man into the feeblest child. + +"True!--quite true! I am very glad you know that, my boy. That will help +you to learn at Crofton, though it is better than anything they can +teach you in their school-room." + +Mrs. Shaw and Phil looked curious; but Mr. Shaw did not repeat a word of +what Hugh had said. He put the boy away from his knees, because he +heard the gig coming round. + +Mrs. Shaw told Hugh that she hoped he would spend some of his Sundays +with his uncle and her; and his uncle added that he must come on +holidays as well as Sundays,--there was so much to see about the mill. + +Phil was amused, and somewhat pleased, to find how exactly Hugh +remembered his description of the place and neighbourhood. He recognised +the duck-pond under the hedge by the road-side, with the very finest +blackberries growing above it, just out of reach. The church he knew, of +course, and the row of chestnuts, whose leaves were just beginning to +fall; and the high wall dividing the orchard from the playground. That +must have been the wall on which Mr. Tooke's little boy used to be +placed to frighten him. It did not look so very high as Hugh had fancied +it. One thing which he had never seen or heard of was the bell, under +its little roof on the ridge of Mr. Tooke's great house. Was it to call +in the boys to school, or for an alarm? His uncle told him it might +serve the one purpose in the day, and the other by night; and that +almost every large farm thereabouts had such a bell on the top of the +house. + +The sun was near its setting when they came in sight of the Crofton +house. A long range of windows glittered in the yellow light, and Phil +said that the lower row all belonged to the school-room;--that whole +row. + +In the midst of his explanations Phil stopped, and his manner grew more +rough than ever--with a sort of shyness in it too. It was because some +of the boys were within hearing, leaning over the pales which separated +the playground from the road. + +"I say; hello there!" cried one. "Is that Prater you have got with you?" + +"Prater the second," cried another. "He could not have had his name if +there had not been Prater the first." + +"There! there's a scrape you have got me into already!" muttered Phil. + +"Be a man, Phil, and bear your own share," said Mr. Shaw; "and no spite, +because your words come back to you!" + +The talk at the palings still went on, as the gig rolled quietly in the +sandy by-road. + +"Prater!" poor Hugh exclaimed. "What a name!" + +"Yes; that is you," said his uncle. "You know now what your nickname +will be. Every boy has one or another: and yours might have been worse, +because you might have done many a worse thing to earn it." + +"But the usher, uncle?" + +"What of him?" + +"He should not have told about me." + +"Don't call him 'Prater the third,' however. Bear your own share, as I +said to Phil, and don't meddle with another's." + +Perhaps Mr. Shaw hoped that through one of the boys the usher would get +a new nickname for his ill-nature in telling tales of a little boy, +before he was so much as seen by his companions. He certainly put it +into their heads, whether they would make use of it or not. + +Mr. Tooke was out, taking his evening ride; but Mr. Shaw would not drive +off till he had seen Mrs. Watson, and introduced his younger nephew to +her, observing to her that he was but a little fellow to come among +such a number of rough boys. Mrs. Watson smiled kindly at Hugh, and +said she was glad he had a brother in the school, to prevent his feeling +lonely at first. It would not take many days, she hoped, to make him +feel quite at home. Mr. Shaw slipped half-a-crown into Hugh's hand, and +whispered to him to try to keep it safe in his inner pocket. Hugh ran +after him to the door, to tell him that he had five shillings +already--safe in his box: but his uncle would not take back the +half-crown. He thought that, in course of time, Hugh would want all the +money he had. + +Mrs. Watson desired Phil to show his brother where he was to sleep, and +to help him to put by his clothes. Phil was in a hurry to get to his +Sallust; so that he was not sorry when Mrs. Watson herself came up to +see that the boy's clothes were laid properly in the deep drawer in +which Hugh was to keep his things. Phil then slipped away. + +"Dear me!" said Mrs. Watson, turning over one of Hugh's new collars, "we +must have something different from this. These collars tied with a black +ribbon are never tidy. They are always over one shoulder or the other." + +"My sisters made them; and they worked so hard to get them done!" said +Hugh. + +"Very well--very right: only it is a pity they are not of a better make. +Every Sunday at church, I shall see your collar awry--and every time you +go to your aunt's, she will think we do not make you neat. I must see +about that. Here are good stockings, however--properly stout. My dear, +are these all the shoes you have got?" + +"I have a pair on." + +"Of course; I don't doubt that. We must have you measured to-morrow for +some boots fitter for the country than these. We have no London pavement +here." + +And so Mrs. Watson went on, sometimes approving and sometimes +criticising, till Hugh did not know whether to cry or to be angry. After +all the pains his mother and sisters had taken about his things, they +were to be found fault with in this way! + +When his box was emptied, and his drawer filled, Mrs. Watson took him +into the school-room, where the boys were at supper. Outside the door +the buzz seemed prodigious, and Hugh hoped that, in such a bustle, +nobody would notice him. Here he was quite mistaken. The moment he +entered there was a hush, and all eyes were turned upon him, except his +brother's. Phil hardly looked up from his book; but he made room for +Hugh between himself and another boy, and drew the great plate of bread +within reach. Mrs. Watson saw that Hugh had his basin of milk; and he +found it a good thing to have something to do while so many eyes were +upon him. He felt that he might have cried if he had not had his supper +to eat. + +The usher sat at the top of the table, reading. Mrs. Watson called his +attention, to Hugh; and Hugh stood up and made his bow. His face was +red, as much with anger as timidity, when he recognised in him the +passenger who had sat beside the coachman. + +"Perhaps, Mr. Carnaby," said Mrs. Watson, "you will find something for +this young gentleman to do, when he has had his supper, while the rest +are learning their lessons. To-morrow he will have his own lessons; but +to-night----" + +"There is always the multiplication-table," replied Mr. Carnaby. "The +young gentleman is partial to that, I fancy." + +Hugh reddened, and applied himself to his bread and milk. + +"Never mind a joke," whispered Mrs. Watson. "We wont plague you with the +multiplication-table the first evening. I will find you a book or +something. Meantime, there is a companion for you--I forgot that." + +The good lady went down the room, and brought back a boy who seemed to +be doing all he could to stop crying. He dashed his hand over his eyes +every minute, and could not look anybody in the face. He had finished +his supper, and was at a loss what to do next, as he had only arrived +that morning, and did not know anybody at Crofton. His name was Tom +Holt, and he was ten years old. + +When they had told their names and ages, and where they came from, the +boys did not know what to say next; and Hugh wished Phil would stop +murmuring over his Sallust and looking in the dictionary every minute; +but Mrs. Watson did not forget the strangers. She brought them Cook's +Voyages out of the library, to amuse themselves with, on condition of +their delivering the book to Mr. Carnaby at bedtime. + +The rest of the evening passed away very pleasantly. Hugh told Holt a +great deal about Broadstairs and the South Sea Islands, and confided to +him his own hopes of being a sailor, and going round the world; and, if +possible, making his way straight through China,--the most difficult +country left to travel in, he believed, except some parts of Africa. He +did not want to cross the Great Desert, on account of the heat. He knew +something of what that was by the leads at home, when the sun was on +them. What was the greatest heat Holt had ever felt? Then came the +surprise. Holt had last come from his uncle's farm; but he was born in +India, and had lived there till eighteen months ago. So, while Hugh had +chattered away about the sea at Broadstairs, and the heat on the leads +at home, his companion had come fourteen thousand miles over the ocean, +and had felt a heat nearly as extreme as that of the Great Desert! Holt +was very unassuming too. He talked of the heat of gleaning in his +uncle's harvest-fields, and of the kitchen when the harvest-supper was +cooking; owning that he remembered he had felt hotter in India. Hugh +heaped questions upon him about his native country and the voyage; and +Holt liked to be asked: so that the boys were not at all like strangers +just met for the first time. They raised their voices in the eagerness +of their talk, from a whisper so as to be heard quite across the table, +above the hum and buzz of above thirty others, who were learning their +lessons half-aloud. At last Hugh was startled by hearing the words +"Prater," "Prater the second." He was silent instantly, to Holt's great +wonder. + +Without raising his eyes from his book, Phil said, so as to be heard as +far as the usher,-- + +"Who prated of Prater the second? Who is Prater the third?" + +There was a laugh which provoked the usher to come and see whereabouts +in Sallust such a passage as this was to be found. Not finding any such, +he knuckled Phil's head, and pulled his hair, till Hugh cried out-- + +"O, don't, sir! Don't hurt him so!" + +"Do you call that hurting? You will soon find what hurting is, when you +become acquainted with our birch. You shall have four times seven with +our birch----Let us see,--that is your favourite number, I think." + +The usher looked round, and almost everybody laughed. + +"You see I have your secret;--four times seven," continued Mr. Carnaby. +"What do you shake your head for?" + +"Because you have not my secret about four times seven." + +"Did not I hear your father? Eh?" + +"What did you hear my father say? Nobody here knows what he meant? and +nobody need know, unless I choose to tell--which I don't.--Please don't +teaze Phil about it, sir: for he knows no more about it than you do." + +Mr. Carnaby said something about the impertinence of little boys, as if +they could have secrets, and then declared it high time that the +youngsters should go to bed. Hugh delivered Cook's Voyages into his +hands, and then bade Phil good night. He was just going to put his face +up to be kissed, but recollected in time that he was to leave off +kissing when he went to school. He held out his hand, but Phil seemed +not to see it, and only told him to be sure to lie enough on one side, +so as to leave him room; and that he was to take the side of the bed +next the window. Hugh nodded and went off, with Holt and two more, who +slept in the same room. + +The two who were not new boys were in bed in a minute; and when they saw +Hugh wash his face and hands, they sat up in bed to stare. One of them +told him that he had better not do that, as the maid would be coming +for the light, and would leave him in the dark, and report of him if he +was not in bed. So Hugh made a great splutter, and did not half dry his +face, and left the water in the basin;--a thing which they told him was +not allowed. He saw that the others had not kneeled down to say their +prayers,--a practice which he had never omitted since he could say a +prayer, except when he had the measles. He knew the boys were watching +him; but he thought of his mother, and how she had taught him to pray at +her knee. He hid himself as well as he could with the scanty +bed-curtains, and kneeled. He could not attend to the words he said, +while feeling that eyes were upon him; and before he had done, the maid +came in for the candle. She waited; but when he got into bed, she told +him that he must be quicker to-morrow night, as she had no time to spare +waiting for the candle. + +Hugh was more tired than he had ever been in his life. This had been the +longest day he had ever known. It seemed more like a week than a day. +Yet he could not go to sleep. He had forgotten to ask Phil to be sure +and wake him in time in the morning: and now he must keep awake till +Phil came, to say this. Then, he could not but ask himself whether he +liked, and should like, being at school as much as he expected; and when +he felt how very unlike home it was, and how rough everybody seemed, and +how Phil appeared almost as if he was ashamed of him, instead of helping +him, he was so miserable he did not know what to do. He cried +bitterly,--cried till his pillow was quite wet, and he was almost choked +with his grief; for he tried hard not to let his sobs be heard. After +awhile, he felt what he might do. Though he had kneeled he had not +really prayed: and if he had, God is never weary of prayers. It was a +happy thought to Hugh that his very best friend was with him still, and +that he might speak to Him at any time. He spoke now in his heart; and a +great comfort it was. He said-- + +"O God, I am all alone here, where nobody knows me; and everything is +very strange and uncomfortable. Please, make people kind to me till I am +used to them; and keep up a brave heart in me, if they are not. Help me +not to mind little things; but to do my lessons well, that I may get to +like being a Crofton boy, as I thought I should. I love them all at home +very much,--better than I ever did before. Make them love me, and think +of me every day,--particularly Agnes,--that they may be as glad as I +shall be when I go home at Christmas." + +This was the most of what he had to say; and he dropped asleep with the +feeling that God was listening to him. + +After a long while, as it seemed to him, though it was only an hour, +there was a light and some bustle in the room. It was Phil and two +others coming to bed. + +"O Phil!" cried Hugh, starting bolt upright and winking with sleep,--"I +meant to keep awake, to ask you to be sure and call me in the morning, +time enough,--quite time enough, please." + +The others laughed; and Phil asked whether he had not seen the bell, as +he came; and what it should be for but to ring everybody up in the +morning. + +"But I might not hear it," pleaded Hugh. + +"Not hear it? You'll soon see that." + +"Well, but you will see that I really do wake, wont you?" + +"The bell will take care of that, I tell you," was all he could get from +Phil. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +CROFTON PLAY. + + +Hugh found, in the morning, that there was no danger of his not hearing +the bell. Its clang clang startled him out of a sound sleep; and he was +on his feet on the floor almost before his eyes were open. The boys who +were more used to the bell did not make quite so much haste. They yawned +a few times, and turned out more slowly; so that Hugh had the great tin +wash basin to himself longer than the rest. There was a basin to every +three boys; and, early as Hugh began, his companions were impatient long +before he had done. At first, they waited, in curiosity to see what he +was going to do after washing his face; when he went further, they began +to quiz; but when they found that he actually thought of washing his +feet, they hooted and groaned at him for a dirty brat. + +"Dirty!" cried Hugh, facing them, amazed, "Dirty for washing my feet! +Mother says it is a dirty trick not to wash all over every day." + +Phil told him that was stuff and nonsense here. There was no room and no +time for such home-doings. The boys all washed their heads and feet on +Saturdays. He would soon find that he might be glad to get his face and +hands done in the mornings. + +The other boys in the room were, or pretended to be, so disgusted with +the very idea of washing feet in a basin, that they made Hugh rinse and +rub out the tin basin several times before they would use it, and then +there was a great bustle to get down stairs at the second bell. Hugh +pulled his brother's arm, as Phil was brushing out of the room, and +asked, in a whisper, whether there would be time to say his prayers. + +"There will be prayers in the school-room. You must be in time for +them," said Phil. "You had better come with me." + +"Do wait one moment, while I just comb my hair." + +Phil fidgeted, and others giggled, while Hugh tried to part his hair, as +Susan had taught him. He gave it up, and left it rough, thinking he +would come up and do it when there was nobody there to laugh at him. + +The school-room looked chilly and dull, as there was no sunshine in it +till the afternoon; and still Mr. Tooke was not there, as Hugh had hoped +he would be. Mrs. Watson and the servants came in for prayers, which +were well read by the usher; and then everybody went to +business:--everybody but Hugh and Holt, who had nothing to do. Class +after class came up for repetition; and this repetition seemed to the +new boys an accomplishment they should never acquire. They did not think +that any practice would enable them to gabble, as everybody seemed able +to gabble here. Hugh had witnessed something of it before,--Phil having +been wont to run off at home, "Sal, Sol, Ren et Splen," to the end of +the passage, for the admiration of his sisters, and so much to little +Harry's amusement, that Susan, however busy she might be, came to +listen, and then asked him to say it again, that cook might hear what he +learned at school. Hugh now thought that none of them gabbled quite so +fast as Phil: but he soon found out, by a glance or two of Phil's to +one side, that he was trying to astonish the new boys. It is surprising +how it lightened Hugh's heart to find that his brother did not quite +despise, or feel ashamed of him, as he had begun to think: but that he +even took pains to show off. He was sorry too when the usher spoke +sharply to Phil, and even rapped his head with the cane, asking him what +he spluttered out his nonsense at that rate for. Thus ended Phil's +display; and Hugh felt as hot, and as ready to cry, as if it had +happened to himself. + +Perhaps the usher saw this; for when he called Hugh up, he was very +kind. He looked at the Latin grammar he had used with Miss Harold, and +saw by the dogs'-ears exactly how far Hugh had gone in it, and asked him +only what he could answer very well. Hugh said three declensions, with +only one mistake. Then he was shown the part that he was to say +to-morrow morning; and Hugh walked away, all the happier for having +something to do, like everybody else. He was so little afraid of the +usher, that he went back to him to ask where he had better sit. + +"Sit! O! I suppose you must have a desk, though you have nothing to put +in it. If there is a spare desk, you shall have it: if not, we will find +a corner for you somewhere." + +Some of the boys whispered that Mrs. Watson's foot-stool, under her +apron, would do: but the usher overheard this, and observed that it took +some people a good while to know a new boy; and that they might find +that a little fellow might be as much of a man as a big one. And the +usher called the oldest boy in the school, and asked him to see if there +was a desk for little Proctor. There was: and Hugh put into it his two +or three school-books, and his slate; and felt that he was now indeed a +Crofton boy. Then, the usher was kinder than he had expected; and he had +still to see Mr. Tooke, of whom he was not afraid at all. So Hugh's +spirits rose, and he liked the prospect of breakfast as well as any boy +in the school. + +There was one more rebuff for him, first, however. He ran up to his +room, to finish combing his hair, while the other boys were thronging +into the long room to breakfast. He found the housemaids there, making +the beds; and they both cried "Out! Out!" and clapped their hands at +him, and threatened to tell Mrs. Watson of his having broken rules, if +he did not go this moment. Hugh asked what Mrs. Watson would say to his +hair, if he went to breakfast with it as it was. One of the maids was +good-natured enough to comb it for him, for once: but she said he must +carry a comb in his pocket; as the boys were not allowed to go to their +rooms, except at stated hours. + +At last, Hugh saw Mr. Tooke. When the boys entered school at nine +o'clock, the master was at his desk. Hugh went up to his end of the +room, with a smiling face, while Tom Holt hung back; and he kept +beckoning Tom Holt on, having told him there was nothing to be afraid +of. But when, at last, Mr. Tooke saw them, he made no difference between +the two, and seemed to forget having ever seen Hugh. He told them he +hoped they would be good boys, and would do credit to Crofton; and then +he asked Mr. Carnaby to set them something to learn. And this was all +they had to do with Mr. Tooke for a long while. + +This morning in school, from nine till twelve, seemed the longest +morning these little boys had ever known. When they remembered that the +afternoon would be as long, and every morning and afternoon for three +months, their hearts sank. Perhaps, if any one had told them that the +time would grow shorter and shorter by use, and at last, when they had +plenty to do, almost too short, they would not have believed it, because +they could not yet feel it. But what they now found was only what every +boy and girl finds, on beginning school, or entering upon any new way of +life. + +Mr. Carnaby, who was busy with others, found it rather difficult to fill +up their time. When Hugh had said some Latin, and helped his companion +to learn his first Latin lesson, and both had written a copy, and done a +sum, Mr. Carnaby could not spare them any more time or thought, and told +them they might do what they liked, if they only kept quiet, till school +was up. So they made out the ridiculous figures which somebody had +carved upon their desks, and the verses, half-rubbed out, which were +scribbled inside: and then they reckoned, on their slates, how many days +there were before the Christmas holidays;--how many school-days, and how +many Sundays. And then Hugh began to draw a steamboat in the Thames, as +seen from the leads of his father's house; while Holt drew on his slate +the ship in which he came over from India. But before they had done, the +clock struck twelve, school was up, and there was a general rush into +the playground. + +Now Hugh was really to see the country. Except that the sun had shone +pleasantly into his room in the morning, through waving trees, nothing +had yet occurred to make him feel that he was in the country. Now, +however, he was in the open air, with trees sprinkled all over the +landscape, and green fields stretching away, and the old church tower +half-covered with ivy. Hugh screamed with pleasure; and nobody thought +it odd, for almost every boy was shouting. Hugh longed to pick up some +of the shining brown chesnuts which he had seen yesterday in the road, +under the trees; and he was now cantering away to the spot, when Phil +ran after him, and roughly stopped him, saying he would get into a fine +scrape for the first day, if he went out of bounds. + +Hugh had forgotten there were such things as bounds, and was not at all +glad to be reminded of them now. He sighed as he begged Phil to show him +exactly where he might go and where he might not. Phil did so in an +impatient way, and then was off to trap-ball, because his party were +waiting for him. + +The chesnut-trees overhung one corner of the playground, within the +paling: and in that corner Hugh found several chesnuts which had burst +their sheaths, and lay among the first fallen leaves. He pocketed them +with great delight, wondering that nobody had been before him to secure +such a treasure. Agnes should have some; and little Harry would find +them nice playthings. They looked good to eat too; and he thought he +could spare one to taste: so he took out his knife, cut off the point of +a fine swelling chesnut, and tasted a bit of the inside. Just as he was +making a face over it, and wondering that it was so nasty, when those +which his father roasted in the fire-shovel on Christmas-day were so +good, he heard laughter behind him, and found that he was again doing +something ridiculous, though he knew not what: and in a moment poor Hugh +was as unhappy as ever. + +He ran away from the laughing boys, and went quite to the opposite +corner of the playground, where a good number of his school-fellows were +playing ball under the orchard wall. Hugh ran hither and thither, like +the rest, trying to catch the ball; but he never could do it; and he was +jostled, and thrown down, and another boy fell over him; and he was told +that he knew nothing about play, and had better move off. + +He did so, with a heavy heart, wondering how he was ever to be like the +other boys, if nobody would take him in hand, and teach him to play, or +even let him learn. Remembering what his mother expected of him, he +tried to sing, to prevent crying, and began to count the pales round the +playground, for something to do. This presently brought him to a tree +which stood on the very boundary, its trunk serving instead of two or +three pales. It was only a twisted old apple-tree; but the more twisted +and gnarled it was, the more it looked like a tree that Hugh could +climb; and he had always longed to climb a tree. Glancing up, he saw a +boy already there, sitting on the fork of two branches, reading. + +"Have you a mind to come up?" asked the boy. + +"Yes, sir, I should like to try to climb a tree. I never did." + +"Well, this is a good one to begin with. I'll lend you a hand; shall I?" + +"Thank you, sir." + +"Don't call me, 'sir.' I'm only a school-boy, like you. I am Dan Firth. +Call me Firth, as I am the only one of the name here. You are little +Proctor, I think--Proctor's brother." + +"Yes: but, Firth, I shall pull you down, if I slip." + +"Not you: but I'll come down, and so send you up to my seat, which is +the safest to begin with. Stand off." + +Firth swung himself down, and then, showing Hugh where to plant his +feet, and propping him when he wanted it, he soon seated him on the +fork, and laughed good-naturedly when Hugh waved his cap over his head, +on occasion of being up in a tree. He let him get down and up again +several times, till he could do it quite alone, and felt that he might +have a seat here whenever it was not occupied by any one else. + +While Hugh sat in the branches, venturing to leave hold with one hand, +that he might fan his hot face with his cap, Firth stood on the rail of +the palings, holding by the tree, and talking to him. Firth told him +that this was the only tree the boys were allowed to climb, since Ned +Reeve had fallen from the great ash, and hurt his spine. He showed what +trees he had himself climbed before that accident; and it made Hugh +giddy to think of being within eight feet of the top of the lofty elm in +the church-yard, which Firth had thought nothing of mounting. + +"Did anybody teach you?" asked Hugh. + +"Yes; my father taught me to climb, when I was younger than you." + +"And had you anybody to teach you games and things, when you came here?" + +"No: but I had learned a good deal of that before I came; and so I soon +fell into the ways here. Have you anybody to teach you?" + +"No----yes----why, no. I thought Phil would have showed me things; but +he does not seem to mind me at all." And Hugh bit his lip, and fanned +himself faster. + +"Ah! he attends to you more than you think." + +"Does he? Then why----but what good does it do me?" + +"What good? His holding off makes you push your own way. It lets you +make friends for yourself." + +"I have no friends here," said Hugh. + +"Yes, you have. Here am I. You would not have had me, if you had been at +Proctor's heels at this moment." + +"Will you be my friend, then?" + +"That I will." + +"What, a great boy like you, that sits reading in a tree! But I may read +here beside you. You said there was room for two." + +"Ay; but you must not use it yet,--at least, not often, if you wish to +do well here. Everybody knows I can play at anything. From the time I +became captain of the wall at fives, I have had liberty to do what I +like, without question. But you must show that you are up to play, +before they will let you read in peace and quiet." + +"But how can I, if----if----" + +"Once show your spirit,--prove that you can shift for yourself, and you +will find Phil open out wonderfully. He and you will forget all his +shyness then. Once show him that he need not be ashamed of you----" + +"Ashamed of me!" cried Hugh, firing up. + +"Yes. Little boys are looked upon as girls in a school till they show +that they are little men. And then again, you have been brought up with +girls,--have not you?" + +"To be sure; and so was he." + +"And half the boys here, I dare say. Well, they are called Bettys +till----" + +"I am not a Betty," cried Hugh, flashing again. + +"They suppose you are, because you part your hair, and do as you have +been used to do at home." + +"What business have they with my hair? I might as well call them Bruins +for wearing theirs shaggy." + +"Very true. They will let you and your hair alone when they see what you +are made of; and then Phil will----" + +"He will own me when I don't want it; and now, when he might help me, +there he is, far off, never caring about what becomes of me!" + +"O yes, he does. He is watching you all the time. You and he will have +it all out some day before Christmas, and then you will see how he +really cares about you. Really your hair is very long,--too like a +girl's. Shall I cut it for you?" + +"I should like it," said Hugh, "but I don't want the boys to think I am +afraid of them; or to begin giving up to them." + +"You are right there. We will let it alone now, and cut it when it suits +our convenience." + +"What a nice place this is, to be sure!" cried Hugh, as the feeling of +loneliness went off. "But the rooks do not make so much noise as I +expected." + +"You will find what they can do in that way when spring comes,--when +they are building." + +"And when may we go out upon the heath, and into the fields where the +lambs are?" + +"We go long walks on Saturday afternoons; but you do not expect to see +young lambs in October, do you?" + +"O, I forgot. I never can remember the seasons for things." + +"That shows you are a Londoner. You will learn all those things here. If +you look for hares in our walks, you may chance to see one; or you may +start a pheasant; but take care you don't mention lambs, or goslings, or +cowslips, or any spring things; or you will never hear the last of it." + +"Thank you: but what will poor Holt do? He is from India, and he knows +very little about our ways." + +"They may laugh at him; but they will not despise him, as they might a +Londoner. Being an Indian, and being a Londoner, are very different +things." + +"And yet how proud the Londoners are over the country! It is very odd." + +"People are proud of their own ways all the world over. You will be +proud of being a Crofton boy, by-and-by." + +"Perhaps I am now, a little," said Hugh, blushing. + +"What, already? Ah! you will do, I see. I have known old people proud of +their age, and young people of their youth. I have seen poor people +proud of their poverty; and everybody has seen rich people proud of +their wealth. I have seen happy people proud of their prosperity, and +the afflicted proud of their afflictions. Yes; people can always manage +to be proud: so you have boasted of being a Londoner up to this time; +and from this time you will hold your head high as a Crofton boy." + +"How long? Till when?" + +"Ah! till when? What next! What do you mean to be afterwards?" + +"A soldier, or a sailor, or a great traveller, or something of that +kind. I mean to go quite round the world, like Captain Cook." + +"Then you will come home, proud of having been round the world; and you +will meet with some old neighbour who boasts of having spent all his +life in the house he was born in." + +"Old Mr. Dixon told mother that of himself, very lately. Oh dear, how +often does the postman come?" + +"You want a letter from home, do you? But you left them only yesterday +morning." + +"I don't know how to believe that,--it seems such an immense time! But +when does the postman come?" + +"Any day when he has letters to bring,--at about four in the afternoon. +We see him come, from the school-room; but we do not know who the +letters are for till school breaks up at five." + +"O dear!" cried Hugh, thinking what the suspense must be, and the +disappointment at last to twenty boys, perhaps, for one that was +gratified. Firth advised him to write a letter home before he began to +expect one. If he did not like to ask the usher, he himself would rule +the paper for him, and he could write a bit at a time, after his lessons +were done in the evening, till the sheet was full. + +Hugh then told his grievance about the usher, and Firth thought that +though it was not wise in Hugh to prate about Crofton on the top of the +coach, it was worse to sit by and listen without warning, unless the +listener meant to hold his own tongue. But he fancied the usher had +since heard something which made him sorry; and the best way now was for +Hugh to bear no malice, and remember nothing more of the affair than to +be discreet in his future journeys. + +"What is the matter there?" cried Hugh. "O dear! something very +terrible must have happened. How that boy is screaming!" + +"It is only Lamb again," replied Firth. "You will soon get used to his +screaming. He is a very passionate boy--I never saw such a passionate +fellow." + +"But what are they doing to him?" + +"Somebody is putting him into a passion, I suppose. There is always +somebody to do that." + +"What a shame!" cried Hugh. + +"Yes: I see no wit in it," replied Firth. "Anybody may do it. You have +only to hold your little finger up to put him in a rage." + +Hugh thought Firth was rather cool about the matter. But Firth was not +so cool when the throng opened for a moment, and showed what was really +done to the angry boy. Only his head appeared above ground. His +school-fellows had put him into a hole they had dug, and had filled it +up to his chin, stamping down the earth, so that the boy was perfectly +helpless, while wild with rage. + +"That is too bad!" cried Firth. "That would madden a saint." + +And he jumped down from the paling, and ran towards the crowd. Hugh, +forgetting his height from the ground, stood up in the tree, almost as +angry as Lamb himself, and staring with all his might to see what he +could. He saw Firth making his way through the crowd, evidently +remonstrating, if not threatening. He saw him snatch a spade from a boy +who was flourishing it in Lamb's face. He saw that Firth was digging, +though half-a-dozen boys had thrown themselves on his back, and hung on +his arms. He saw that Firth persevered till Lamb had got his right arm +out of the ground, and was striking everywhere within reach. Then he +saw Firth dragged down and away, while the boys made a circle round +Lamb, putting a foot or hand within his reach, and then snatching it +away again, till the boy yelled with rage at the mockery. + +Hugh could look on no longer. He scrambled down from the tree, scampered +to the spot, burst through the throng, and seized Lamb's hand. Lamb +struck him a heavy blow, taking him for an enemy; but Hugh cried "I am +your friend," seized his hand again, and tugged till he was first red +and then black in the face, and till Lamb had worked his shoulders out +of the hole, and seemed likely to have the use of his other arm in a +trice. + +Lamb's tormentors at first let Hugh alone in amazement; but they were +not long in growing angry with him too. They hustled him--they pulled +him all ways--they tripped him up; but Hugh's spirit was roused, and +that brought his body up to the struggle again and again. He wrenched +himself free, he scrambled to his feet again, as often as he was thrown +down; and in a few minutes he had plenty of support. Phil was taking his +part, and shielding him from many blows. Firth had got Lamb out of the +hole; and the party against the tormentors was now so strong that they +began to part off till the struggle ceased. Firth kept his grasp of the +spade; for Lamb's passion still ran so high that there was no saying +what might be the consequences of leaving any dangerous weapon within +his reach. He was still fuming and stamping, Hugh gazing at him the +while in wonder and fear. + +"There stands your defender, Lamb," said Firth, "thinking he never saw a +boy in a passion before. Come, have done with it for his sake: be a +man, as he is. Here, help me to fill up this hole--both of you. Stamp +down the earth, Lamb. Tread it well--tread your anger well down into it. +Think of this little friend of yours here--a Crofton boy only +yesterday!" + +Lamb did help to fill the hole, but he did not say a word--not one word +to anybody, till the dinner-bell rang. Then, at the pump, where the +party were washing their hot and dirty and bruised hands, he held out +his hand to Hugh, muttering, with no very good grace-- + +"I don't know what made you help me, but I will never be in a passion +with you:--unless you put me out, that is." + +Hugh replied that he had come to help because he never could bear to see +anybody _made worse_. He always tried at home to keep the little boys +and girls off "drunk old Tom," as he was called in the neighbourhood. It +was such a shame to make anybody worse! Lamb looked as if he was going +to fly at Hugh now: but Firth put his arm round Hugh's neck, and drew +him into the house, saying in his ear-- + +"Don't say any more that you have no friends here. You have me for one; +and you might have had another--two in one morning--but for your plain +speaking about drunk old Tom." + +"Did I say any harm?" + +"No--no harm," replied Firth; laughing. "You will do, my boy--when you +have got through a few scrapes. I'm your friend, at any rate." + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +FIRST RAMBLE. + + +Hugh's afternoon lessons were harder than those of the morning; and in +the evening he found he had so much to do that there was very little +time left for writing his letter home. Some time there was, however; and +Firth did not forget to rule his paper, and to let Hugh use his ink. +Hugh had been accustomed to copy the prints he found in the Voyages and +Travels he read; and he could never see a picture of a savage but he +wanted to copy it. He was thus accustomed to a pretty free use of his +slate-pencil. He now thought that it would save a great deal of +description if he sent a picture or two in his letter: so he flourished +off, on the first page, a sketch of Mr. Tooke sitting at his desk at the +top of the school, and of Mr. Carnaby standing at his desk at the bottom +of the school. + +The next evening he made haste to fill up the sheet, for he found his +business increasing upon his hands so fast that he did not know when he +should get his letter off, if he did not despatch it at once. He was +just folding it up when Tom Holt observed that it was a pity not to put +some words into the mouths of the figures, to make them more animated; +and he showed Hugh, by the curious carvings of their desks, how to put +words into the mouths of figures. Hugh then remembered having seen this +done in the caricatures in the print-shops in London; and he seized on +the idea. He put into Mr. Tooke's mouth the words which were oftenest +heard from him, "Proceed, gentlemen;" and into Mr. Carnaby's, "Hold +your din." + +Firth was too busy with his sense-verses to mind the little boys, as +they giggled, with their heads close together, over Hugh's sheet of +paper; but the usher was never too busy to be aware of any fun which +might possibly concern his dignity. He had his eye on the new boys the +whole while. He let Hugh direct his letter, and paint up a stroke or two +which did not look so well as the rest; and it was not till Hugh was +rolling the wafer about on his tongue that he interfered. Mr. Carnaby +then came up, tapped Hugh's head, told him not to get on so fast, for +that every letter must be looked over before it went to the post. While +saying this, he took the letter, and put it into his waistcoat pocket. +In vain Hugh begged to have it again, saying he would write another. The +more he begged, and the more dismayed Tom Holt looked, the less Mr. +Carnaby would attend to either. Firth let himself be interrupted to hear +the case: but he could do nothing in it. It was a general rule, which he +thought every boy had known; and it was too late now to prevent the +letter being looked over. + +Mr. Carnaby was so angry at the liberty Hugh had taken with his face and +figure, that, in spite of all prayers, and a good many tears, he walked +up the school with the letter, followed by poor Hugh, as soon as Mr. +Tooke had taken his seat next morning. Hugh thought that Holt, who had +put him up to the most offensive part of the pictures, might have borne +him company; but Holt was a timid boy, and he really had not courage to +leave his seat. So Hugh stood alone, awaiting Mr. Tooke's awful words, +while the whole of the first class looked up from their books, in +expectation of what was to happen. They waited some time for the +master's words; for he was trying to help laughing. He and Mr. Carnaby +were so much alike in the pictures, and both so like South Sea +islanders, that it was impossible to help laughing at the thought of +this sketch going abroad as a representation of the Crofton masters. At +last, all parties laughed aloud, and Mr. Tooke handed Hugh his +wafer-glass, and bade him wafer up his letter, and by all means send it. +Mr. Carnaby could not remain offended, if his principal was not angry: +so here the matter ended, except that Hugh made some strong resolutions +about his future letters; and that the corners of the master's mouth +were seen to be out of their usual order several times in the course of +the morning. + +This incident, and everything which haunted Hugh's mind, and engrossed +his attention, was a serious evil to him; for his business soon grew to +be more than his habit of mind was equal to. In a few days, he learned +to envy the boys (and they were almost the whole school) who could fix +their attention completely and immediately on the work before them, and +relax as completely, when it was accomplished. When his eyes were +wandering, they observed boy after boy frowning over his dictionary, or +repeating to himself, earnestly and without pause; and presently the +business was done, and the learner at ease, feeling confident that he +was ready to meet his master. After double the time had passed, Hugh was +still trying to get the meaning of his lesson into his head--going over +the same words a dozen times, without gaining any notion of their +meaning--suffering, in short, from his long habit of inattention at +home. He did now try hard; but he seemed to get only headaches for his +pains. His brother saw enough to make him very sorry for Hugh before ten +days was over. He might not, perhaps, have been struck with his anxious +countenance, his frequent starts, and his laying his head down on his +desk because it ached so, if it had not been for what happened at night. +Sometimes Hugh started out of bed, and began to dress, when the elder +boys went up with their light, only an hour after the younger ones. +Sometimes he would begin saying his syntax in the middle of the night, +fancying he was standing before Mr. Carnaby; and once, he walked in his +sleep as far as the head of the stairs, and then suddenly woke, and +could not make out where he was. Phil should have told Mr. Tooke of +these things; but Hugh was so very anxious that nobody should know of +his "tricks" (as the boys in his room called his troubles), that Phil +only mentioned the matter to Mrs. Watson, who had known so many bad +sleepers among little boys, and had so little idea that the habit was +anything new, that she took scarcely any notice of it. She had his hair +cut very short and close, and saw that he took a moderate supper, and +was satisfied that all would be well. Hugh did not part with his hair +till he had joked himself about its length, as much as any one could +quiz him for it. When he had pulled it down over the end of his nose, +and peeped through it, like an owl out of an ivy-bush, he might be +supposed to part with it voluntarily, and not because he was laughed at. + +Phil's observation of his brother's toil and trouble led him to give him +some help. Almost every day he would hear Hugh say his lesson--or try to +say it; for the poor boy seldom succeeded. Phil sometimes called him +stupid, and sometimes refrained from saying so, whatever he might +think; but there really was very little difference in the result, +whether Phil heard the lessons beforehand or not; and it gave Joe Cape a +great advantage over Phil that he had no little brother to attend to. +Considering how selfish rivalship is apt to make boys (and even men), it +was perhaps no wonder that Phil sometimes kept out of Hugh's way at the +right hour, saying to himself that his proper business was to do his +lessons, and get or keep ahead of Joe Cape; and that Hugh must take his +chance, and work his own way, as other boys had to do. This conduct +might not be wondered at in Phil; but it hurt Hugh, and made him do his +lessons all the worse. He did not like to expose his brother's +unkindness to any one, or he would oftener have asked Firth to help him. +Firth, too, had plenty of work of his own to do. More than once, +however, Firth met the little lad, wandering about, with his grammar in +his hand, in search of the hidden Phil; and then Firth would stop him, +and sit down with him, and have patience, and give him such clear +explanations, such good examples of the rules he was to learn, that it +all became easy, and Hugh found his lessons were to him only what those +of other boys seemed to them. Still, however, and at the best, Hugh was, +as a learner, far too much at the mercy of circumstances--the victim of +what passed before his eyes, or was said within his hearing. + +Boys who find difficulty in attending to their lessons are sure to be +more teased with interruptions than any others. Holt had not the habit +of learning; and he and Hugh were continually annoyed by the boys who +sat near them watching how they got on, and making remarks upon them. +One day, Mr. Tooke was called out of the school-room to a visitor, and +Mr. Carnaby went up to take the master's place, and hear his class. This +was too good an opportunity for the boys below to let slip; and they +began to play tricks,--most of them directed against Hugh and Tom Holt. +One boy, Warner, began to make the face that always made Holt laugh, +however he tried to be grave. Page drew a caricature of Mrs. Watson on +his slate, and held it up; and Davison took a mask out of his desk, and +even ventured to tie it on, as if it had not been school-time. + +"I declare I can't learn my lesson--'tis too bad!" cried Hugh. + +"'Tis a shame!" said Tom Holt, sighing for breath after his struggle not +to laugh. "We shall never be ready." + +Hugh made gestures of indignation at the boys, which only caused worse +faces to be made, and the mask to nod. + +"We wont look at them," proposed Holt. "Let us cover our eyes, and not +look up at all." + +Hugh put his hands before his eyes; but still his mind's eye saw the +grinning mask, and his lesson did not get on. Besides, a piece of wet +sponge lighted on the very page he was learning from. He looked up +fiercely, to see who had thrown it. It was no other than Tooke, who +belonged to that class:--it was Tooke, to judge by his giggle, and his +pretending to hide his face, as if ashamed. Hugh tossed back the sponge, +so as to hit Tooke on the nose. Then Tooke was angry, and threw it +again, and the sponge passed backwards and forwards several times: for +Hugh was by this time very angry,--boiling with indignation at the +hardship of not being able to learn his lesson, when he really would if +he could. While the sponge was still passing to and fro, Mr. Carnaby's +voice was heard from the far end of the room, desiring Warner, Page, +Davison, and Tooke to be quiet, and let the boys alone till Mr. Tooke +came in, when Mr. Tooke would take his own measures. + +Hugh, wondering how Mr. Carnaby knew, at that distance, what was going +on, found that Holt was no longer by his side. In a moment, Holt +returned to his seat, flushed and out of breath. A very slight hiss was +heard from every form near, as he came down the room. + +"O! Holt! you have been telling tales!" cried Hugh. + +"Telling tales!" exclaimed Holt, in consternation, for Holt knew nothing +of school ways. "I never thought of that. They asked me to tell Mr. +Carnaby that we could not learn our lessons." + +"They! Who? I am sure I never asked you." + +"No; you did not: but Harvey and Prince did,--and Gillingham. They said +Mr. Carnaby would soon make those fellows quiet; and they told me to +go." + +"You hear! They are calling you 'tell-tale.' That will be your name now. +Oh, Holt! you should not have told tales. However, I will stand by you," +Hugh continued, seeing the terror that Holt was in. + +"I meant no harm," said Holt, trembling. "Was not it a shame that they +would not let us learn our lessons?" + +"Yes, it was--but----" + +At this moment Mr. Tooke entered the room. As he passed the forms, the +boys were all bent over their books, as if they could think of nothing +else. Mr. Tooke walked up the room to his desk, and Mr. Carnaby walked +down the room to _his_ desk; and then Mr. Carnaby said, quite aloud, + +"Mr. Tooke, sir." + +"Well." + +Here Holt sprang from his desk, and ran to the usher and besought him +not to say a word about what Warner's class had been doing. He even hung +on Mr. Carnaby's arm in entreaty; but Mr. Carnaby shook him off, and +commanded him back to his seat. Then the whole school heard Mr. Tooke +told about the wry faces and the mask, and the trouble of the little +boys. Mr. Tooke was not often angry; but when he was, his face grew +white, and his lips trembled. His face was white now. He stood up, and +called before him the little boy who had informed. Hugh chose to go with +Holt, though Holt had not gone up with him about the letter, the other +day; and Holt felt how kind this was. Mr. Tooke desired to know who the +offenders were; and as they were named, he called to them to stand up in +their places. Then came the sentence. Mr. Tooke would never forgive +advantage being taken of his absence. If there were boys who could not +be trusted while his back was turned, they must be made to remember him +when he was out of sight, by punishment. Page must remain in school +after hours, to learn twenty lines of Virgil; Davison twenty; Tooke +forty---- + +Here everybody looked round to see how Tooke bore his father being so +angry with him. + +"Please, sir," cried one boy, "I saw little Proctor throw a sponge at +Tooke. He did it twice." + +"Never mind!" answered Tooke. "I threw it at him first. It is my +sponge." + +"And Warner," continued the master, as if he had not heard the +interruption, "considering that Warner has got off too easily for many +pranks of late,--Warner seventy." + +Seventy! The idea of having anybody condemned, through him, to learn +seventy lines of Latin by heart, made Holt so miserable, that the word +seventy seemed really to prick his very ears. Though Mr. Tooke's face +was still white, Holt ventured up to him-- + +"Pray, sir----" + +"Not a word of intercession for those boys?" said the master. "I will +not hear a word in their favour." + +"Then, sir----" + +"Well." + +"I only want to say, then, that Proctor told no tales, sir. I did not +mean any harm, sir, but I told, because----" + +"Never mind that," cried Hugh, afraid that he would now be telling of +Harvey, Prince, and Gillingham, who had persuaded him to go up. + +"I have nothing to do with that. That is your affair," said the master, +sending the boys back to their seats. + +Poor Holt had cause to rue this morning, for long after. He was weary of +the sound of hissing, and of the name "tell-tale;" and the very boys who +had prompted him to go up were at first silent, and then joined against +him. He complained to Hugh of the difficulty of knowing what it was +right to do. He had been angry on Hugh's account chiefly; and he still +thought it _was_ very unjust to hinder their lessons, when they wished +not to be idle: and yet they were all treating him as if he had done +something worse than the boys with the mask. Hugh thought all this was +true; but he believed it was settled among school-boys (though Holt had +never had the opportunity of knowing it) that it was a braver thing for +boys to bear any teasing from one another than to call in the power of +the master to help. A boy who did that was supposed not to be able to +take care of himself; and for this he was despised, besides being +disliked, for having brought punishment upon his companions. + +Holt wished Hugh had not been throwing sponges at the time:--he wished +Hugh had prevented his going up. He would take good care how he told +tales again. + +"You had better say so," advised Hugh; "and then they will see that you +had never been at school, and did not know how to manage." + +The first Saturday had been partly dreaded, and partly longed for, by +Hugh. He had longed for the afternoon's ramble; but Saturday morning was +the time for saying tables, among other things. Nothing happened as he +had expected. The afternoon was so rainy that there was no going out; +and, as for the tables, he was in a class of five; and "four times +seven" did not come to him in regular course. Eight times seven did, and +he said "fifty-six" with great satisfaction. Mr. Carnaby asked him +afterwards the dreaded question, but he was on his guard; and as he +answered it right, and the usher had not found out the joke, he hoped he +should hear no more of the matter. + +The next Saturday was fine, and at last he was to have the walk he +longed for. The weekly repetitions were over, dinner was done, Mr. +Carnaby appeared with his hat on, the whole throng burst into the open +air, and out of bounds, and the new boys were wild with expectation and +delight. When they had passed the church-yard and the green, and were +wading through the sandy road which led up to the heath, Firth saw Hugh +running and leaping hither and thither, not knowing what to do with his +spirits. Firth called him, and putting his arm round Hugh's neck, so as +to keep him prisoner, said he did not know how he might want his +strength before he got home, and he had better not spend it on a bit of +sandy road. So Hugh was made to walk quietly, and gained his breath +before the breezy heath was reached. + +On the way, he saw that a boy of the name of Dale, whom he had never +particularly observed before, was a good deal teased by some boys who +kept crossing their hands before them, and curtseying like girls, +talking in a mincing way, and calling one another Amelia, with great +affectation. Dale tried to get away, but he was followed, whichever way +he turned. + +"What do they mean by that?" inquired Hugh of Firth. + +"Dale has a sister at a school not far off, and her name is Amelia; and +she came to see him to-day. Ah! you have not found out yet that boys are +laughed at about their sisters, particularly if the girls have fine +names." + +"What a shame!" cried Hugh; words which he had used very often already +since he came to Crofton. + +He broke from Firth, ran up to Dale, and said to him, in a low voice, "I +have two sisters, and one of them is called Agnes." + +"Don't let them come to see you, then, or these fellows will quiz you as +they do me. As if I could help having a sister Amelia!" + +"Why, you are not sorry for that? You would not wish your sister dead, +or not born, would you?" + +"No; but I wish she was not hereabouts: that is, I wish she had not +come up to the pales, with the maid-servant behind her, for everybody to +see. And then, when Mr. Tooke sent us into the orchard together, some +spies were peeping over the wall at us all the time." + +"I only wish Agnes would come," cried Hugh, "and I would----" + +"Ah! you think so now; but depend upon it, you would like much better to +see her at home. Why, her name is finer than my sister's! I wonder what +girls ever have such names for!" + +"I don't see that these names are finer than some boys' names. There's +Frazer, is not his name Colin? And then there's Hercules Fisticuff----" + +"Why, you know--to be sure you know that is a nickname?" said Dale. + +"Is it? I never thought of that," replied Hugh. "What is his real name?" + +"Samuel Jones. However, there is Colin Frazer--and Fry, his name is +Augustus Adolphus; I will play them off the next time they quiz Amelia. +How old is your sister Agnes?" + +Then the two boys wandered off among the furze bushes, talking about +their homes; and in a little while, they had so opened their hearts to +each other, that they felt as if they had always been friends. Nobody +thought any more about them when once the whole school was dispersed +over the heath. Some boys made for a hazel copse, some way beyond the +heath, in hopes of finding a few nuts already ripe. Others had boats to +float on the pond. A large number played leap-frog, and some ran races. +Mr. Carnaby threw himself down on a soft couch of wild thyme, on a +rising ground, and took out his book. So Dale and Hugh felt themselves +unobserved, and they chatted away at a great rate. Not but that an +interruption or two did occur. They fell in with a flock of geese, and +Hugh did not much like their appearance, never having heard a goose make +a noise before. He had eaten roast goose, and he had seen geese in the +feathers at the poulterers'; but he had never seen them alive, and +stretching their necks at passengers. He flinched at the first moment. +Dale, who never imagined that a boy who was not afraid of his +school-fellows could be afraid of geese, luckily mistook the movement, +and said, "Ay, get a switch,--a bunch of furze will do, and we will be +rid of the noisy things." + +He drove them away, and Hugh had now learned, for ever, how much noise +geese can make, and how little they are to be feared. + +They soon came upon some creatures which were larger and stronger, and +with which Hugh was no better acquainted. Some cows were grazing, or had +been grazing, till a party of boys came up. They were now restless, +moving uneasily about, so that Dale himself hesitated for a moment which +way to go. Lamb was near,--the passionate boy, who was nobody's friend, +and who was therefore seldom at play with others. He was also something +of a coward, as any one might know from his frequent bullying. He and +Holt happened to be together at this time; and it was their appearance +of fright at the restless cows which frightened Hugh. One cow at last +began to trot towards them at a pretty good rate. Lamb ran off to the +right, and the two little boys after him, though Dale pulled at Hugh's +hand to make him stand still; as Dale chose to do himself. He pulled in +vain--Hugh burst away, and off went the three boys, over the hillocks +and through the furze, the cow trotting at some distance behind. They +did not pause till Lamb had led them off the heath into a deep lane, +different from the one by which they had come. The cow stopped at a +patch of green grass, just at the entrance of the hollow way; and the +runners therefore could take breath. + +"Now we are here," said Lamb, "I will show you a nice place,--a place +where we can get something nice. How thirsty I am!" + +"And so am I," declared Holt, smacking his dry tongue. Hugh's mouth was +very dry too, between the run and the fright. + +"Well, then, come along with me, and I will show you," said Lamb. + +Hugh thought they ought not to go farther from the heath: but Lamb said +they would get back by another way,--through a gate belonging to a +friend of his. They could not get back the way they came, because the +cow was there still. He walked briskly on till they came to a cottage, +over whose door swung a sign; and on the sign was a painting of a bottle +and a glass, and a heap of things which were probably meant for cakes, +as there were cakes in the window. Here Lamb turned in, and the woman +seemed to know him well. She smiled, and closed the door behind the +three boys, and asked them to sit down: but Lamb said there was no time +for that to-day,--she must be quick. He then told the boys that they +would have some ginger-beer. + +"But may we?" asked the little boys. + +"To be sure: who is to prevent us? You shall see how you like +ginger-beer when you are thirsty." + +The woman declared that it was the most wholesome thing in the world; +and if the young gentleman did not find it so, she would never ask him +to taste her ginger-beer again. Hugh thanked them both; but he did not +feel quite comfortable. He looked at Holt, to find out what he thought: +but Holt was quite engrossed with watching the woman untwisting the wire +of the first bottle. The cork did not fly; indeed there was some +difficulty in getting it out: so Lamb waived his right, as the eldest, +to drink first; and the little boys were so long in settling which +should have it, that the little spirit there was had all gone off before +Hugh began to drink; and he did not find ginger-beer such particularly +good stuff as Lamb had said. He would have liked a drink of water +better. The next bottle was very brisk: so Lamb seized upon it; and the +froth hung round his mouth when he had done: but Holt was no better off +with his than Hugh had been. They were both urged to try their luck +again. Hugh would not; but Holt did once; and Lamb, two or three times. +Then the woman offered them some cakes upon a plate: and the little boys +thanked her, and took each one. Lamb put some in his pocket, and advised +the others to do the same, as they had no time to spare. He kept some +room in his pocket, however, for some plums; and told the boys that they +might carry theirs in their handkerchiefs, or in their caps, if they +would take care to have finished before they came within sight of the +usher. He then asked the woman to let them out upon the heath through +her garden gate; and she said she certainly would when they had paid. +She then stood drumming with her fingers upon the table, and looking +through the window, as if waiting. + +"Come, Proctor, you have half-a-crown," said Lamb. "Out with it!" + +"My half-crown!" exclaimed Proctor. "You did not say I had anything to +pay." + +"As if you did not know that, without my telling you! You don't think +people give away their good things, I suppose! Come,--where's your +half-crown? My money is all at home." + +Holt had nothing with him either. Lamb asked the woman what there was to +pay. She seemed to count and consider; and Holt told Hugh afterwards +that he saw Lamb wink at her. She then said that the younger gentlemen +had had the most plums and cakes. The charge was a shilling a-piece for +them, and sixpence for Master Lamb:--half-a-crown exactly. Hugh +protested he never meant anything like this, and that he wanted part of +his half-crown to buy a comb with; and he would have emptied out the +cakes and fruit he had left; but the woman stopped him, saying that she +never took back what she had sold. Lamb hurried him, too, declaring that +their time was up; and he even thrust his finger and thumb into Hugh's +inner pocket, and took out the half-crown, which he gave to the woman. +He was sure that Hugh could wait for his comb till Holt paid him, and +the woman said she did not see that any more combing was wanted: the +young gentleman's hair looked so pretty as it was. She then showed them +through the garden, and gave them each a marigold full-blown. She +unlocked her gate, pushed them through, locked it behind them, and left +them to hide their purchases as well as they could. Though the little +boys stuffed their pockets till the ripest plums burst, and wetted the +linings, they could not dispose of them all; and they were obliged to +give away a good many. + +Hugh went in search of his new friend, and drew him aside from the rest +to relate his trouble. Dale wondered he had not found out Lamb before +this, enough to refuse to follow his lead. Lamb would never pay a penny. +He always spent the little money he had upon good things, the first day +or two; and then he got what he could out of any one who was silly +enough to trust him. + +"But," said Hugh, "the only thing we had to do with each other before +was by my being kind to him." + +"That makes no difference," said Dale. + +"But what a bad boy he must be! To be sure, he will pay me, when he +knows how much I want a comb." + +"He will tell you to buy it out of your five shillings. You let him know +you had five shillings in Mrs. Watson's hands." + +"Yes; but he knows how I mean to spend that,--for presents to carry home +at Christmas. But I'll never tell him anything again. Oh! Dale! do you +really think he will never pay me?" + +"He never pays anybody; that is all I know. Come,--forget it all, as +fast as you can. Let us go and see if we can get any nuts." + +Hugh did not at all succeed in his endeavours to forget his adventure. +The more he thought about it, the worse it seemed; and the next time he +spoke to Holt, and told him to remember that he owed him a shilling, +Holt said he did not know that,--he did not mean to spend a shilling; +and it was clear that it was only his fear of Hugh's speaking to Mrs. +Watson or the usher, that prevented his saying outright that he should +not pay it. Hugh felt very hot, and bit his lip to make his voice +steady when he told Dale, on the way home, that he did not believe he +should ever see any part of his half-crown again. Dale thought so too; +but he advised him to do nothing more than keep the two debtors up to +the remembrance of their debt. If he told so powerful a person as Firth, +it would be almost as much tale-telling as if he went to the master at +once; and Hugh himself had no inclination to expose his folly to Phil, +who was already quite sufficiently ashamed of his inexperience. So poor +Hugh threw the last of his plums to some cottager's children on the +green, in his way home; and, when he set foot within bounds again, he +heartily wished that this Saturday afternoon had been rainy too; for any +disappointment would have been better than this scrape. + +While learning his lessons for Monday, he forgot the whole matter; and +then he grew merry over the great Saturday night's washing; but after he +was in bed, it flashed upon him that he should meet uncle and aunt Shaw +in church to-morrow, and they would speak to Phil and him after church; +and his uncle might ask after the half-crown. He determined not to +expose his companions, at any rate: but his uncle would be displeased; +and this thought was so sad that Hugh cried himself to sleep. His uncle +and aunt were at church the next morning; and Hugh could not forget the +ginger-beer, or help watching his uncle: so that, though he tried +several times to attend to the sermon, he knew nothing about it when it +was done. His uncle observed in the church-yard that they must have had +a fine ramble the day before; but did not say anything about +pocket-money. Neither did he name a day for his nephews to visit him, +though he said they must come before the days grew much shorter. So Hugh +thought he had got off very well thus far. In the afternoon, however, +Mrs. Watson, who invited him and Holt into her parlour, to look over the +pictures in her great Bible, was rather surprised to find how little +Hugh could tell her of the sermon, considering how much he had +remembered the Sunday before. She had certainly thought that to-day's +sermon had been the simpler, and the more interesting to young people, +of the two. Her conversation with Hugh did him good, however. It +reminded him of his mother's words, and of her expectations from him; +and it made him resolve to bear, not only his loss, but any blame which +might come upon him silently, and without betraying anybody. He had +already determined, fifty times within the twenty-four hours, never to +be so weakly led again, when his own mind was doubtful, as he had felt +it all the time from leaving the heath to getting back to it again. He +began to reckon on the Christmas holidays, when he should have five +weeks at home, free from the evils of both places,--from lessons with +Miss Harold, and from Crofton scrapes. + +It is probable that the whole affair would have passed over quietly, and +the woman in the lane might have made large profits by other +inexperienced boys, and Mr. Carnaby might have gone on being careless as +to where the boys went out of his sight on Saturdays, but that Tom Holt +ate too many plums on the present occasion. On Sunday morning he was not +well; and was so ill by the evening, and all Monday, that he had to be +regularly nursed; and when he left his bed, he was taken to Mrs. +Watson's parlour,--the comfortable, quiet place where invalid boys +enjoyed themselves. Poor Holt was in very low spirits; and Mrs. Watson +was so kind that he could not help telling her that he owed a shilling, +and he did not know how he should ever pay it; and that Hugh Proctor, +who had been his friend till now, seemed on a sudden much more fond of +Dale; and this made it harder to be in debt to him. + +The wet, smeared lining of the pockets had told Mrs. Watson already that +there had been some improper indulgence in good things; and when she +heard what part Lamb had played towards the little boys, she thought it +right to tell Mr. Tooke. Mr. Tooke said nothing till Holt was in the +school again, which was on Thursday; and not then till the little boys +had said their lessons, at past eleven o'clock. They were drawing on +their slates, and Lamb was still mumbling over his book, without getting +on, when the master's awful voice was heard, calling up before him Lamb, +little Proctor, and Holt. All three started, and turned red; so that the +school concluded them guilty before it was known what they were charged +with. Dale knew,--and he alone; and very sorry he was, for the intimacy +between Hugh and him had grown very close indeed since Saturday. + +The master was considerate towards the younger boys. He made Lamb tell +the whole. Even when the cowardly lad "bellowed" (as his school-fellows +called his usual mode of crying) so that nothing else could be heard, +Mr. Tooke waited, rather than question the other two. When the whole +story was extracted, in all its shamefulness, from Lamb's own lips, the +master expressed his disgust. He said nothing about the money part of +it--about how Hugh was to be paid. He probably thought it best for the +boys to take the consequences of their folly in losing their money. He +handed the little boys over to Mr. Carnaby to be caned--"To make them +remember," as he said; though they themselves were pretty sure they +should never forget. Lamb was kept to be punished by the master himself. +Though Lamb knew he should be severely flogged, and though he was the +most cowardly boy in the school, he did not suffer so much as Hugh did +in the prospect of being caned--being punished at all. Phil, who knew +his brother's face well, saw, as he passed down the room, how miserable +he was--too miserable to cry; and Phil pulled him by the sleeve, and +whispered that being caned was nothing to mind--only a stroke or two +across the shoulders. Hugh shook his head, as much as to say, "It is not +that." + +No--it was not the pain. It was the being punished in open school, and +when he did not feel that he deserved it. How should he know where Lamb +was taking him? How should he know that the ginger-beer was to be paid +for, and that he was to pay? He felt himself injured enough already; and +now to be punished in addition! He would have died on the spot for +liberty to tell Mr. Tooke and everybody what he thought of the way he +was treated. He had felt his mother hard sometimes; but what had she +ever done to him compared with this? It was well he thought of his +mother. At the first moment, the picture of home in his mind nearly made +him cry--the thing of all others he most wished to avoid while so many +eyes were on him; but the remembrance of what his mother expected of +him--her look when she told him _he must not fail_, gave him courage. +Hard as it was to be, as he believed, unjustly punished, it was better +than having done anything very wrong--anything that he really could not +have told his mother. + +Mr. Carnaby foresaw that a rebuke was in store for him for his +negligence during the walk on Saturday; and this anticipation did not +sweeten his mood. He kept the little boys waiting, though Holt was +trembling very much, and still weak from his illness. It occurred to the +usher that another person might be made uncomfortable; and he +immediately acted on the idea. He had observed how fond of one another +Dale and Hugh had become; and he thought he would plague Dale a little. +He therefore summoned him, and desired him to go, and bring him a +switch, to cane these boys with. + +"I have broken my cane; so bring me a stout switch," said he, "Bring me +one out of the orchard; one that will lay on well--one that will not +break with a good hard stroke;--mind what I say--one that will not +break." + +"Yes, sir," replied Dale, readily; and he went as if he was not at all +unwilling. Holt shivered. Hugh never moved. + +It was long, very long, before Dale returned. When he did, he brought a +remarkably stout broomstick. + +"This wont break, I think, sir," said he. + +The boys giggled. Mr. Carnaby knuckled Dale's head as he asked him if he +called that a switch. + +"Bring me a _switch_," said he. "One that is not too stout, or else it +will not sting. It must sting, remember,--sting well. Not too stout, +remember." + +"Yes, sir," said Dale; and away he went again. + +He was now gone yet longer; and by the time he returned everybody's eyes +were fixed on the door, to see what sort of a switch would next appear. +Dale entered, bringing a straw. + +"I think this will not be too stout, sir." + +Everybody laughed but Hugh--even Holt. + +There was that sneer about Mr. Carnaby's nose which made everybody sorry +now for Dale: but everybody started, Mr. Carnaby and all, at Mr. Tooke's +voice, close at hand. How much he had seen and heard, there was no +knowing; but it was enough to make him look extremely stern. + +"Are these boys not caned yet, Mr. Carnaby?" + +"No, sir;--I have not--I----" + +"Have they been standing here all this while?" + +"Yes, sir. I have no cane, sir. I have been sending----" + +"I ordered them an immediate caning, Mr. Carnaby, and not mental +torture. School is up," he declared to the boys at large. "You may +go--you have been punished enough," he said to the little boys. "Mr. +Carnaby, have the goodness to remain a moment." + +And the large room was speedily emptied of all but the master, the +usher, and poor Lamb. + +"The usher will catch it now," observed some boys, as the master himself +shut the door behind them. "He will get well paid for his spite." + +"What will be done to him?" asked Hugh of Dale, whom he loved fervently +for having saved him from punishment. + +"Oh, I don't know; and I don't care--though he was just going to give my +head some sound raps against the wall, if Mr. Tooke had not come up at +the moment." + +"But what _will_ be done to Mr. Carnaby?" + +"Never mind what; he wont be here long, they say. Fisher says there is +another coming; and Carnaby is here only till that other is at liberty." + +This was good news, if true: and Hugh ran off, quite in spirits, to +play. He had set himself diligently to learn to play, and would not be +driven off; and Dale had insisted on fair scope for him. He played too +well to be objected to any more. They now went to leap-frog; and when +too hot to keep it up any longer, he and Dale mounted into the +apple-tree to talk, while they were cooling, and expecting the +dinner-bell. + +Something happened very wonderful before dinner. The gardener went down +to the main road, and seemed to be looking out. At last he hailed the +London coach. Hugh and Dale could see from their perch. The coach +stopped, the gardener ran back, met Mr. Carnaby under the chesnuts, +relieved him of his portmanteau, and helped him to mount the coach. + +"Is he going? Gone for good?" passed from mouth to mouth, all over the +playground. + +"Gone for good," was the answer of those who knew to a certainty. + +The boys set up first a groan, so loud that perhaps the departing usher +heard it. Then they gave a shout of joy, in which the little boys joined +with all their might--Hugh waving his cap in the apple-tree. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME. + + +Hugh got on far better with his lessons as he grew more intimate with +Dale. It was not so much that Dale helped him with his grammar and +construing (for Dale thought every boy should make shift to do his own +business) as that he liked to talk about his work, even with a younger +boy; and so, as he said, clear his head. A great deal that he said was +above Hugh's comprehension; and much of his repetitions mere words: but +there were other matters which fixed Hugh's attention, and proved to him +that study might be interesting out of school. When Dale had a theme to +write, the two boys often walked up and down the playground for half an +hour together, talking the subject over, and telling of anything they +had heard or read upon it. Hugh presently learned the names and the +meanings of the different parts of a theme; and he could sometimes help +with an illustration or example, though he left it to his friend to lay +down the Proposition, and search out the Confirmation. Dale's +nonsense-verses were perfect nonsense to Hugh: but his construing was +not: and when he went over it aloud, for the purpose of fixing his +lesson in his ear, as well as his mind, Hugh was sorry when they arrived +at the end, and eager to know what came next,--particularly if they had +to stop in the middle of a story of Ovid's. Every week, almost every day +now, made a great difference in Hugh's school-life. He still found his +lessons very hard work, and was often in great fear and pain about +them,--but he continually perceived new light breaking in upon his mind: +his memory served him better; the little he had learned came when he +wanted it, instead of just a minute too late. He rose in the morning +with less anxiety about the day: and when playing, could forget school. + +There was no usher yet in Mr. Carnaby's place; and all the boys said +their lessons to Mr. Tooke himself: which Hugh liked very much, when he +had got over the first fear. A writing-master came from a distance +twice a-week, when the whole school was at writing and arithmetic all +the afternoon: but every other lesson was said to the master; and this +was likely to go on till Christmas, as the new usher, of whom, it was +said, Mr. Tooke thought so highly as to choose to wait for him, could +not come before that time. Of course, with so much upon his hands, Mr. +Tooke had not a moment to spare; and slow or idle boys were sent back to +their desks at the first trip or hesitation in their lessons. Hugh was +afraid, at the outset, that he should be like poor Lamb, who never got a +whole lesson said during these weeks: and he was turned down sometimes; +but not often enough to depress him. He learned to trust more to his ear +and his memory: his mind became excited, as in playing a game: and he +found he got through, he scarcely knew how. His feeling of fatigue +afterwards proved to him that this was harder work than he had ever done +at home; but he did not feel it so at the time. When he could learn a +lesson in ten minutes, and say it in one; when he began to use Latin +phrases in his private thoughts, and saw the meaning of a rule of +syntax, so as to be able to find a fresh example out of his own head, he +felt himself really a Crofton boy, and his heart grew light within him. + +The class to which Hugh belonged was one day standing waiting to be +heard, when the master was giving a subject and directions for an +English theme to Dale's class. The subject was the Pleasures of +Friendship. In a moment Hugh thought of Damon and Pythias, and of David +and Jonathan,--of the last of whom there was a picture in Mrs. Watson's +great Bible. He thought how happy he had been since he had known Dale, +and his heart was in such a glow, he was sure he could write a theme. +He ran after Mr. Tooke when school was over, and asked whether he might +write a theme with Dale's class. When Mr. Tooke found he knew what was +meant by writing a theme, he said he might try, if he neglected nothing +for it, and wrote every word of it himself, without consultation with +any one. + +Hugh scampered away to tell Dale that they must not talk over this theme +together, as they were both to do it; and then, instead of playing, he +went to his desk, and wrote upon his slate till it was quite full. He +had to borrow two slates before he had written all he had to say. Phil +ruled his paper for him; but before he had copied one page, his +neighbours wanted their slates back again,--said they must have them, +and rubbed out all he had written. Much of the little time he had was +lost in this way, and he grew wearied. He thought at first that his +theme would be very beautiful: but he now began to doubt whether it +would be worth anything at all; and he was vexed to have tired himself +with doing what would only make him laughed at. The first page was well +written out,--the Confirmation being properly separated from the +Proposition: but he had to write all the latter part directly from his +head upon the paper, as the slates were taken away; and he forgot to +separate the Conclusion from the Inference. + +He borrowed a penknife, and tried to scratch out half a line; but he +only made a hole in the paper, and was obliged to let the line stand. +Then he found he had strangely forgotten to put in the chief thing of +all,--about friends telling one another of their faults,--though, on +consideration, he was not sure that this was one of the Pleasures of +Friendship: so, perhaps, it did not much matter. But there were two +blots; and he had left out Jonathan's name, which had to be interlined. +Altogether, it had the appearance of a very bad theme. Firth came and +looked over his shoulder, as he was gazing at it; and Firth offered to +write it out for him; and even thought it would be fair, as he had had +nothing to do with the composition: but Hugh could not think it would be +fair, and said, sighing, that his must take its chance. He did not think +he could have done a theme so very badly. + +Mr. Tooke beckoned him up with Dale's class, when they carried up their +themes; and, seeing how red his face was, the master bade him not be +afraid. But how could he help being afraid? The themes were not read +directly. It was Mr. Tooke's practice to read them out of school-hours. +On this occasion, judgment was given the last thing before school broke +up the next morning. + +Hugh had never been more astonished in his life. Mr. Tooke praised his +theme very much, and said it had surprised him. He did not mind the +blots and mistakes, which would, he said, have been great faults in a +copy-book, but were of less consequence than other things in a theme. +Time and pains would correct slovenliness of that kind; and the thoughts +and language were good. Hugh was almost out of his wits with delight; so +nearly so that he spoiled his own pleasure completely. He could not keep +his happiness to himself, or his vanity: for Hugh had a good deal of +vanity,--more than he was aware of before this day. He told several boys +what Mr. Tooke had said: but he soon found that would not do. Some were +indifferent, but most laughed at him. Then he ran to Mrs. Watson's +parlour, and knocked. Nobody answered; for the room was empty: so Hugh +sought her in various places, and at last found her in the kitchen, +boiling some preserves. + +"What do you come here for? This is no place for you," said she, when +the maids tried in vain to put Hugh out. + +"I only want to tell you one thing," cried Hugh; and he repeated exactly +what Mr. Tooke had said of his theme. Mrs. Watson laughed, and the maids +laughed, and Hugh left them, angry with them, but more angry with +himself. They did not care for him,--nobody cared for him, he said to +himself; he longed for his mother's look or approbation when he had done +well, and Agnes' pleasure, and even Susan's fondness and praise. He +sought Dale. Dale was in the midst of a game, and had not a word or look +to spare till it was over. The boys would have admitted Hugh; for he +could now play as well as anybody; but he was in no mood for play now. +He climbed his tree, and sat there, stinging his mind with the thought +of his having carried his boastings into the kitchen, and with his +recollection of Mrs. Watson's laugh. + +It often happened that Firth and Hugh met at this tree; and it happened +now. There was room for both; and Firth mounted, and read for some time. +At last, he seemed to be struck by Hugh's restlessness and heavy sighs; +and he asked whether he had not got something to amuse himself with. + +"No. I don't want to amuse myself," said Hugh, stretching so as almost +to throw himself out of the tree. + +"Why, what's the matter? Did not you come off well with your theme? I +heard somebody say you were quite enough set up about it." + +"Where is the use of doing a thing well, if nobody cares about it?" +said Hugh. "I don't believe anybody at Crofton cares a bit about +me--cares whether I get on well or ill--except Dale. If I take pains and +succeed, they only laugh at me." + +"Ah! you don't understand school and school-boys yet," replied Firth. +"To do a difficult lesson well is a grand affair at home, and the whole +house knows of it. But it is the commonest thing in the world here. If +you learn to feel with these boys, instead of expecting them to feel +with you (which they cannot possibly do), you will soon find that they +care for you accordingly." + +Hugh shook his head. + +"You will find in every school in England," continued Firth, "that it is +not the way of boys to talk about feelings--about anybody's feelings. +That is the reason why they do not mention their sisters or their +mothers--except when two confidential friends are together, in a tree, +or by themselves in the meadows. But, as sure as ever a boy is full of +action--if he tops the rest at play--holds his tongue, or helps others +generously--or shows a manly spirit without being proud of it, the whole +school is his friend. You have done well, so far, by growing more and +more sociable; but you will lose ground if you boast about your lessons +out of school. To prosper at Crofton, you must put off home, and make +yourself a Crofton boy." + +"I don't care about that," said Hugh. "I give it all up. There is +nothing but injustice here." + +"Nothing but injustice! Pray, am I unjust?" + +"No--not you--not so far. But----" + +"Is Mr. Tooke unjust?" + +"Yes--very." + +"Pray how, and when?" + +"He has been so unjust to me, that if it had not been for something, I +could not have borne it. I am not going to tell you what that something +is: only you need not be afraid but that I can bear everything. If the +whole world was against me----" + +"Well, never mind what that something is; but tell me how Mr. Tooke is +unjust to you." + +"He punished me when I did not deserve it; and he praised me when I did +not deserve it. I was cheated and injured that Saturday; and, instead of +seeing me righted, Mr. Tooke ordered me to be punished. And to-day, when +my theme was so badly done that I made sure of being blamed, he praised +me." + +"This might be injustice at home," replied Firth, "because parents know, +or ought to know, all that is in their children's minds, and exactly +what their children can do. A school-master can judge only by what he +sees. Mr. Tooke does not know yet that you could have done your theme +better than you did--as your mother would have known. When he finds you +can do better, he will not praise such a theme again. Meantime, how you +can boast of his praise, if you think it unjust, is the wonder to me." + +"So it is to me now. I wish I had never asked to do that theme at all," +cried Hugh, again stretching himself to get rid of his shame. "But why +did Mr. Tooke order me to be caned? Why did he not make Lamb and Holt +pay me what they owe? I was injured before; and he injured me more." + +"You were to be caned because you left the heath and entered a house, +without leave--not because you had been cheated of your money." + +"But I did not know where I was going. I never meant to enter a house." + +"But you did both; and what you suffered will prevent your letting +yourself be led into such a scrape again. As for the money part of the +matter--a school is to boys what the world is when they become men. They +must manage their own affairs among themselves. The difference is, that +here is the master to be applied to, if we choose. He will advise you +about your money, if you choose to ask him: but, for my part, I would +rather put up with the loss, if I were you." + +"Nobody will ever understand what I mean about justice," muttered Hugh. + +"Suppose," said Firth, "while you are complaining of injustice in this +way, somebody else should be complaining in the same way of your +injustice." + +"Nobody can--fairly," replied Hugh. + +"Do you see that poor fellow, skulking there under the orchard-wall?" + +"What, Holt?" + +"Yes, Holt. I fancy the thought in his mind at this moment is that you +are the most unjust person at Crofton." + +"I! unjust!" + +"Yes; so he thinks. When you first came, you and he were companions. You +found comfort in each other while all the rest were strangers to you. +You were glad to hear, by the hour together, what he had to tell you +about India, and his voyages and travels. Now he feels himself lonely +and forsaken, while he sees you happy with a friend. He thinks it hard +that you should desert him because he owes you a shilling, when he was +cheated quite as much as you." + +"Because he owes me a shilling!" cried Hugh, starting to his feet, "as +if----" + +Once more he had nearly fallen from his perch. Firth caught him; and +then asked him how Holt should think otherwise than as he did, since +Hugh had been his constant companion up to that Saturday afternoon, and +had hardly spoken to him since. + +Hugh protested that the shilling had nothing to do with the matter; and +he never meant to take more than sixpence from Holt, because he thought +Lamb was the one who ought to pay the shilling. The thing was, he did +not, and could not, like Holt half so well as Dale. He could not make a +friend of Holt, because he wanted spirit--he had no courage. What could +he do? He could not pretend to be intimate with Holt when he did not +like him; and if he explained that the shilling had nothing to do with +the matter, he could not explain how it really was, when the fault was +in the boy's character, and not in his having given any particular +offence. What could he do? + +Firth thought he could only learn not to expect, anywhere out of the +bounds of home, what he thought justice. He must, of course, try himself +to be just to everybody; but he must make up his mind in school, as men +have to do in the world, to be misunderstood--to be wrongly valued; to +be blamed when he felt himself the injured one; and praised when he knew +he did not deserve it. + +"But it is so hard," said Hugh. + +"And what do people leave home for but to learn hard lessons?" + +"But, still, if it were not for----" + +"For what? Do you see any comfort under it?" asked Firth, fixing his +eyes on Hugh. + +Hugh nodded, without speaking. + +"That One understands us who cannot be unjust!" whispered Firth. "I am +glad you feel that." + +"Even home would be bad enough without that," said Hugh. "And what would +school be?" + +"Or the world?" added Firth. "But do not get cross, and complain again. +Leave that to those who have no comfort." + +Hugh nodded again. Then he got down, and ran to tell Holt that he did +not want a shilling from him, because he thought sixpence would be +fairer. + +Holt was glad to hear this at first; but he presently said that it did +not much matter, for that he had no more chance of being able to pay +sixpence than a shilling. His parents were in India, and his uncle never +offered him any money. He knew indeed that his uncle had none to spare; +for he had said in the boy's hearing, that it was hard on him to have to +pay the school-bills (unless he might pay them in the produce of his +farm), so long as it must be before he could be repaid from India. So +Holt did not dare to ask for pocket-money; and for the hundredth time he +sighed over his debt. He had almost left off hoping that Hugh would +excuse him altogether, though everybody knew that Hugh had five +shillings in Mrs. Watson's hands. This fact, and Hugh's frequent +applications to Lamb for payment, had caused an impression that Hugh was +fond of money. It was not so; and yet the charge was not unfair. Hugh +was ready to give if properly asked; but he did not relish, and could +not bear with temper, the injustice of such a forced borrowing as had +stripped him of his half-crown. He wanted his five shillings for +presents for his family; and for these reasons, and not because he was +miserly, he did not offer to excuse Holt's debt; which it would have +been more generous to have done. Nobody could wish that he should excuse +Lamb's. + +"When are you going to your uncle's?" asked Holt. "I suppose you _are_ +going some day before Christmas." + +"On Saturday, to stay till Sunday night," said Hugh. + +"And Proctor goes too, I suppose?" + +"Yes; of course, Phil goes too." + +"Anybody else?" + +"We are each to take one friend, just for Saturday, to come home at +night." + +"Oh? then, you will take me. You said you would." + +"Did I? That must have been a long time ago." + +"But you did say so,--that, whenever you went, you would ask leave to +take me." + +"I don't remember any such thing. And I am going to take Dale this time. +I have promised him." + +Holt cried with vexation. Dale was always in his way. Hugh cared for +nobody but Dale; but Dale should not go to Mr. Shaw's till he had had +his turn. He had been promised first, and he would go first. He would +speak to Mrs. Watson, and get leave to go and tell Mr. Shaw, and then he +was sure Mr. Shaw would let him go. + +Hugh was very uncomfortable. He really could not remember having made +this promise: but he could not be sure that he had not. He asked Holt if +he thought he should like to be in people's way, to spoil the holiday by +going where he was not wished for; but this sort of remonstrance did not +comfort Holt at all. Hugh offered that he should have the very next +turn, if he would give up now. + +"I dare say! And when will that be? You know on Sunday it will want only +nineteen days to the holidays; and you will not be going to your uncle's +again this half-year. A pretty way of putting me off!" + +Then, as if a sudden thought had struck him, he cried, + +"But Proctor has to take somebody." + +"Yes; Phil takes Tooke. They settled that a week ago." + +"Oh! can't you ask him to take me?" + +"No; I shall not meddle with Phil. Besides, I am glad he has chosen +Tooke. Tooke behaved well to me about the sponge, that day. Tooke has +some spirit." + +This put Holt in mind of the worst of his adventures since he came to +Crofton, and of all the miseries of being shunned as a tell-tale. He +cried so bitterly as to touch Hugh's heart. As if thinking aloud, Hugh +told him that he seemed very forlorn, and that he wished he would find a +friend to be intimate with. This would make him so much happier as he +had no idea of; as he himself had found since he had had Dale for a +friend. + +This naturally brought out a torrent of reproaches, which was followed +by a hot argument; Holt insisting that Hugh ought to have been his +intimate friend; and Hugh asking how he could make a friend of a boy who +wanted spirit. They broke away from one another at last, Hugh declaring +Holt to be unreasonable and selfish, and Holt thinking Hugh cruel and +insulting. + +Of course Mrs. Watson would not hear of Holt's going to Mr. Shaw, to ask +for an invitation for Saturday. He was told he must wait till another +time. It was no great consolation to Holt that on Sunday it would want +only nineteen days to the holidays: for he was to remain at Crofton. He +hoped to like the holidays better than school-days, and to be petted by +Mrs. Watson, and to sit by the fire, instead of being forced into the +playground in all weathers: but still he could not look forward to +Christmas with the glee which other boys felt. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +A LONG DAY. + + +Hugh, meantime, was counting the hours till Saturday. Perhaps, if the +truth were known, so was Phil, though he was too old to acknowledge such +a longing. But the climbing about the mill,--the play encouraged there +by his uncle and the men,--his uncle's stories within doors, his aunt's +good dinners,--the fire-side, the picture-books, the talk of home, +altogether made up the greatest treat of the half-year. Phil had plenty +of ways of passing the time. Hugh began a long letter home,--the very +last letter, except the short formal one which should declare when the +Christmas vacation should commence. Hugh meant to write half the letter +before Saturday, and then fill it up with an account of his visit to his +uncle's. + +The days were passed, however, when Hugh had the command of his leisure +time, as on his arrival, when his hours were apt to hang heavy. He had +long since become too valuable in the playground to be left to follow +his own devices. As the youngest boy, he was looked upon as a sort of +servant to the rest, when once it was found that he was quick and +clever. Either as scout, messenger, or in some such capacity, he was +continually wanted; and often at times inconvenient to himself. He then +usually remembered what Mr. Tooke had told him of his boy, when Tooke +was the youngest,--how he bore things--not only being put on the high +wall, but being well worked in the service of the older boys. Usually +Hugh was obliging, but he could and did feel cross at times. He was +cross on this Friday,--the day when he was so anxious to write his +letter before going to his uncle's. On Saturday there would be no time. +The early mornings were dark now; and after school he should have to +wash and dress, and be off to his uncle's. On Friday then, his paper was +ruled, and he had only to run across the playground to borrow Firth's +penknife, and then nothing should delay his letter. + +In that run across the playground he was stopped. He was wanted to +collect clean snow for the boys who were bent on finishing their +snow-man while it would bind. He should be let off when he had brought +snow enough. But he knew that by that time his fingers would be too +stiff to hold his pen; and he said he did not choose to stop now. Upon +this Lamb launched a snow-ball in his face. Hugh grew angry,--or, as his +school-fellows said, insolent. Some stood between him and the house, to +prevent his getting home, while others promised to roll him in the snow +till he yielded full submission. Instead of yielding, Hugh made for the +orchard wall, scrambled up it, and stood for the moment out of the reach +of his enemies. He kicked down such a quantity of snow upon any one who +came near, that he held all at bay for some little time. At last, +however, he had disposed of all the snow within his reach, and they +were pelting him thickly with snow-balls. It was not at any time very +easy to stand upright, for long together, upon this wall, as the stones +which capped it were rounded. Now, when the coping-stones were slippery +after the frost, and Hugh nearly blinded with the shower of snow-balls, +he could not keep his footing, and was obliged to sit astride upon the +wall. This brought one foot within reach from below; and though Hugh +kicked, and drew up his foot as far and as often as he could, so as not +to lose his balance, it was snatched at by many hands. At last, one hand +kept its hold, and plenty more then fastened upon his leg. They pulled: +he clung. In another moment, down he came, and the large heavy +coping-stone, loosened by the frost, came after him, and fell upon his +left foot as he lay. + +It was a dreadful shriek that he gave. Mrs. Watson heard it in her +store-room, and Mr. Tooke in his study. Some labourers felling a tree in +a wood, a quarter of a mile off, heard it, and came running to see what +could be the matter. The whole school was in a cluster round the poor +boy in a few seconds. During this time, while several were engaged in +lifting away the stone, Tooke stooped over him, and said, with his lips +as white as paper, + +"Who was it that pulled you,--that got the first hold of you? Was it I? +O! say it was not I." + +"It was you," said Hugh. "But never mind! You did not mean it."--He saw +that Tooke's pain was worse than his own, and he added, in a faint +whisper, + +"Don't you tell, and then nobody will know. Mind you don't!" + +One boy after another turned away from the sight of his foot, when the +stone was removed. Tooke fainted, but, then, so did another boy who had +nothing to do with the matter. Everybody who came up asked who did it; +and nobody could answer. Tooke did not hear; and so many felt themselves +concerned, that no one wished that any answer should be given. + +"Who did it, my dear boy?" asked Firth, bending over him. + +"Never mind!" was all Hugh could say. He groaned in terrible pain. + +He must not lie there; but who could touch him? Firth did; and he was +the right person, as he was one of the strongest. He made two boys pass +their handkerchiefs under the leg, and sling it, without touching it; +and he lifted Hugh, and carried him across his arms towards the house. +They met Mr. Tooke, and every person belonging to the household, before +they reached the door. + +"To my bed!" said the master, when he saw: and in an instant the +gardener had his orders to saddle Mr. Tooke's horse, and ride to London +for an eminent surgeon: stopping by the way to beg Mr. and Mrs. Shaw to +come, and bring with them the surgeon who was their neighbour, Mr. +Annanby. + +"Who did it?" "Who pulled him down?" passed from mouth to mouth of the +household. + +"He wont tell,--noble fellow," cried Firth. "Don't ask him. Never ask +him who pulled him down." + +"You will never repent it, my dear boy," whispered Firth. + +Hugh tried to smile, but he could not help groaning again. There was a +suppressed groan from some one else. It was from Mr. Tooke. Hugh was +sadly afraid he had, by some means, found out who did the mischief. But +it was not so. Mr. Tooke was quite wretched enough without that. + +Everybody was very kind, and did the best that could be done. Hugh was +held up on the side of Mr. Tooke's bed, while Mrs. Watson took off his +clothes, cutting the left side of his trousers to pieces, without any +hesitation. The master held the leg firmly while the undressing went on; +and then poor Hugh was laid back, and covered up warm, while the foot +was placed on a pillow, with only a light handkerchief thrown over it. + +It was terrible to witness his pain; but Mr. Tooke never left him all +day. He chafed his hands, he gave him drink; he told him he had no doubt +his mother would arrive soon; he encouraged him to say or do anything +that he thought would give him ease. + +"Cry my dear," he said, "if you want to cry. Do not hide tears from me." + +"I can't help crying," sobbed Hugh: "but it is not the pain,--not only +the pain; it is because you are so kind!" + +"Where _is_ Phil?" he said at last. + +"He is so very unhappy, that we think he had better not see you till +this pain is over. When you are asleep, perhaps." + +"Oh! when will that be?" and poor Hugh rolled his head on the pillow. + +"George rides fast; he is far on his way by this time," said Mr. Tooke. +"And one or other of the surgeons will soon be here; and they will tell +us what to do, and what to expect." + +"Do tell Phil so,--will you?" + +Mr. Tooke rang the bell; and the message was sent to Phil, with Hugh's +love. + +"Will the surgeon hurt me much, do you think?" Hugh asked. "I will bear +it. I only want to know." + +"I should think you hardly could be in more pain than you are now," +replied Mr. Tooke. "I trust they will relieve you of this pain. I should +not wonder if you are asleep to-night as quietly as any of us; and then +you will not mind what they may have done to you." + +Hugh thought he should mind nothing, if he could ever be asleep again. + +He was soon asked if he would like to see his uncle and aunt, who were +come. He wished to see his uncle; and Mr. Shaw came up, with the +surgeon. Mr. Annanby did scarcely anything to the foot at present. He +soon covered it up again, and said he would return in time to meet the +surgeon who was expected from London. Then Hugh and his uncle were +alone. + +Mr. Shaw told him how sorry the boys all were, and how they had come in +from the playground at once, and put themselves under Firth, to be kept +quiet; and that very little dinner had been eaten; and that, when the +writing-master arrived, he was quite astonished to find everything so +still, and the boys so spiritless: but that nobody told him till he +observed how two or three were crying, so that he was sure something was +the matter. + +"Which? Who? Who is crying?" asked Hugh. + +"Poor Phil, and I do not know who else,--not being acquainted with the +rest." + +"How glad I am that Dale had nothing to do with it!" said Hugh. "He was +quite on the other side of the playground." + +"They tell me below that I must not ask you how it happened." + +"Oh yes! you may. Everything except just who it was that pulled me down. +So many got hold of me that nobody knows exactly who gave _the_ pull, +except myself and one other. He did not mean it; and I was cross about +playing with them; and the stone on the wall was loose, or it would not +have happened. O dear! O dear! Uncle, do you think it a bad accident?" + +"Yes, my boy, a very bad accident." + +"Do you think I shall die? I never thought of that," said Hugh. And he +raised himself a little, but was obliged to lie back again. + +"No; I do not think you will die." + +"Will they think so at home? Was that the reason they were sent to?" + +"No: I have no doubt your mother will come to nurse you, and to comfort +you: but----" + +"To comfort me? Why, Mr. Tooke said the pain would soon be over, he +thought, and I should be asleep to-night." + +"Yes; but, though the pain may be over, it may leave you lame. That will +be a misfortune; and you will be glad of your mother to comfort you." + +"Lame!" said the boy. Then, as he looked wistfully in his uncle's face, +he saw the truth. + +"Oh! uncle, they are going to cut off my leg." + +"Not your leg, I hope, Hugh. You will not be quite so lame as that: but +I am afraid you must lose your foot." + +"Was that what Mr. Tooke meant by the surgeon's relieving me of my +pain?" + +"Yes; it was." + +"Then it will be before night. Is it quite certain, uncle?" + +"Mr. Annanby thinks so. Your foot is too much hurt ever to be cured. Do +you think you can bear it, Hugh?" + +"Why, yes, I suppose so. So many people have. It is less than some of +the savages bear. What horrid things they do to their captives,--and +even to some of their own boys! And they bear it." + +"Yes; but you are not a savage." + +"But one may be as brave, without being a savage. Think of the martyrs +that were burnt, and some that were worse than burnt! And they bore it." + +Mr. Shaw perceived that Hugh was either in much less pain now, or that +he forgot everything in a subject which always interested him extremely. +He told his uncle what he had read of the tortures inflicted by savages, +till his uncle, already a good deal agitated, was quite sick: but he let +him go on, hoping that the boy might think lightly in comparison of what +he himself had to undergo. This could not last long, however. The +wringing pain soon came back; and as Hugh cried, he said he bore it so +very badly, he did not know what his mother would say if she saw him. +She had trusted him not to fail; but really he could not bear this much +longer. + +His uncle told him that nobody had thought of his having such pain as +this to bear: that he had often shown himself a brave little fellow; and +he did not doubt that, when this terrible day was over, he would keep up +his spirits through all the rest. + +Hugh would have his uncle go down to tea. Then he saw a gown and shawl +through the curtain, and started up; but it was not his mother yet. It +was only Mrs. Watson come to sit with him while his uncle had his tea. + +Tea was over, and the younger boys had all gone up to bed, and the older +ones were just going, when there was a ring at the gate. It was Mrs. +Proctor; and with her the surgeon from London. + +"Mother! Never mind, mother!" Hugh was beginning to say; but he stopped +when he saw her face,--it was so very pale and grave. At least, he +thought so; but he saw her only by fire-light; for the candle had been +shaded from his eyes, because he could not bear it. She kissed him with +a long, long kiss; but she did not speak. + +"I wish the surgeon had come first," he whispered, "and then they would +have had my foot off before you came. When _will_ he come?" + +"He is here,--they are both here." + +"Oh, then, do make them make haste. Mr. Tooke says I shall go to sleep +afterwards. You think so? Then we will both go to sleep, and have our +talk in the morning. Do not stay now,--this pain is _so_ bad,--I can't +bear it well at all. Do go, now, and bid them make haste, will you?" + +His mother whispered that she heard he had been a brave boy, and she +knew he would be so still. Then the surgeons came up, and Mr. Shaw. +There was some bustle in the room, and Mr. Shaw took his sister down +stairs, and came up again, with Mr. Tooke. + +"Don't let mother come," said Hugh. + +"No, my boy, I will stay with you," said his uncle. + +The surgeons took off his foot. As he sat in a chair, and his uncle +stood behind him, and held his hands, and pressed his head against him, +Hugh felt how his uncle's breast was heaving,--and was sure he was +crying. In the very middle of it all, Hugh looked up in his uncle's +face, and said, + +"Never mind, uncle! I can bear it." + +He did bear it finely. It was far more terrible than he had fancied; and +he felt that he could not have gone on a minute longer. When it was +over, he muttered something, and Mr. Tooke bent down to hear what it +was. It was-- + +"I can't think how the Red Indians bear things so." + +His uncle lifted him gently into bed, and told him that he would soon +feel easy now. + +"Have you told mother?" asked Hugh. + +"Yes; we sent to her directly." + +"How long did it take?" asked Hugh. + +"You have been out of bed only a few minutes--seven or eight, perhaps." + +"Oh, uncle, you don't mean really?" + +"Really: but we know they seemed like hours to you. Now, your mother +will bring you some tea. When you have had that, you will go to sleep: +so I shall wish you good night now." + +"When will you come again?" + +"Very often, till you come to me. Not a word more now. Good-night." + +Hugh was half asleep when his tea came up, and quite so directly after +he had drunk it. Though he slept a great deal in the course of the +night, he woke often,--such odd feelings disturbed him! Every time he +opened his eyes, he saw his mother sitting by the fire-side; and every +time he moved in the least, she came softly to look. She would not let +him talk at all till near morning, when she found that he could not +sleep any more, and that he seemed a little confused about where he +was,--what room it was, and how she came to be there by fire-light. Then +she lighted a candle, and allowed him to talk about his friend Dale, and +several school affairs; and this brought back gradually the recollection +of all that had happened. + +"I don't know what I have been about, I declare," said he, half +laughing. But he was soon as serious as ever he was in his life, as he +said, "But oh! mother, tell me,--do tell me if I have let out who pulled +me off the wall." + +"You have not,--you have not indeed," replied she. "I shall never ask. I +do not wish to know. I am glad you have not told; for it would do no +good. It was altogether an accident." + +"So it was," said Hugh; "and it would make the boy so unhappy to be +pointed at! Do promise me, if I should let it out in my sleep, that you +will never, never tell anybody." + +"I promise you. And I shall be the only person beside you while you are +asleep, till you get well. So you need not be afraid.--Now, lie still +again." + +She put out the light, and he did lie still for some time; but then he +was struck with a sudden thought which made him cry out. + +"O, mother, if I am so lame, I can never be a soldier or a sailor.--I +can never go round the world!" + +And Hugh burst into tears, now more really afflicted than he had been +yet. His mother sat on the bed beside him, and wiped away his tears as +they flowed, while he told her, as well as his sobs would let him, how +long and how much he had reckoned on going round the world, and how +little he cared for anything else in the future; and now this was just +the very thing he should never be able to do! He had practised climbing +ever since he could remember;--and now that was of no use;--he had +practised marching, and now he should never march again. When he had +finished his complaint, there was a pause, and his mother said, + +"Hugh, do you remember Richard Grant?" + +"What,--the cabinet-maker? The man who carved so beautifully?" + +"Yes. Do you remember----No, you could hardly have known: but I will +tell you. He had planned a most beautiful set of carvings in wood for a +chapel belonging to a nobleman's mansion. He was to be well paid,--his +work was so superior; and he would be able to make his parents +comfortable, as well as his wife and children. But the thing he most +cared for was the honour of producing a noble work which would outlive +him. Well, at the very beginning of his task, his chisel flew up against +his wrist: and the narrow cut that it made,--not more than half an inch +wide,--made his right hand entirely useless for life. He could never +again hold a tool;--his work was gone,--his business in life seemed +over,--the support of the whole family was taken away,--and the only +strong wish Richard Grant had in the world was disappointed." + +Hugh hid his face with his handkerchief, and his mother went on: + +"You have heard of Huber." + +"The man who found out so much about bees. Miss Harold read that account +to us." + +"Bees and ants. When Huber had discovered more than had ever been known +before about bees and ants, and when he was sure he could learn more +still, and was more and more anxious to peep and pry into their tiny +homes, and their curious ways, Huber became blind." + +Hugh sighed, and his mother went on: + +"Did you ever hear of Beethoven? He was one of the greatest musical +composers that ever lived. His great, his sole delight was in music. It +was the passion of his life. When all his time and all his mind were +given to music, he became deaf--perfectly deaf; so that he never more +heard one single note from the loudest orchestra. While crowds were +moved and delighted with his compositions, it was all silence to him." + +Hugh said nothing. + +"Now, do you think," asked his mother,--and Hugh saw by the grey light +that began to shine in, that she smiled--"do you think that these people +were without a heavenly Parent?" + +"O no! But were they all patient?" + +"Yes, in their different ways and degrees. Would you say that they were +hardly treated? Or would you rather suppose that their Father gave them +something more and better to do than they had planned for themselves?" + +"He must know best, of course: but it does seem hard that that very +thing should happen to them. Huber would not have so much minded being +deaf, perhaps; or that musical man being blind; or Richard Grant losing +his foot, instead of his hand: for he did not want to go round the +world." + +"No doubt their hearts often swelled within them at their +disappointments: but I fully believe that they found very soon that +God's will was wiser than their wishes. They found, if they bore their +trial well, that there was work for their hearts to do, far nobler than +any work that the head can do through the eye, and the ear, and the +hand. And they soon felt a new and delicious pleasure, which none but +the bitterly disappointed can feel." + +"What is that?" + +"The pleasure of rousing their souls to bear pain, and of agreeing with +God silently, when nobody knows what is in their hearts. There is a +great pleasure in the exercise of the body,--in making the heart beat, +and the limbs glow, in a run by the sea-side, or a game in the +playground; but this is nothing to the pleasure there is in exercising +one's soul in bearing pain,--in finding one's heart glow with the hope +that one is pleasing God." + +"Shall I feel that pleasure?" + +"Often and often, I have no doubt,--every time that you can willingly +give up your wish to be a soldier or a sailor,--or anything else that +you have set your mind upon, if you can smile to yourself, and say that +you will be content at home.--Well, I don't expect it of you yet. I dare +say it was long a bitter thing to Beethoven to see hundreds of people +in raptures with his music, when he could not hear a note of it. And +Huber----" + +"But did Beethoven get to smile?" + +"If he did, he was happier than all the fine music in the world could +have made him." + +"I wonder--O! I wonder if I ever shall feel so." + +"We will pray to God that you may. Shall we ask him now?" + +Hugh clasped his hands. His mother kneeled beside the bed, and, in a +very few words, prayed that Hugh might be able to bear his misfortune +well, and that his friends might give him such help and comfort as God +should approve. + +"Now, my dear, you will sleep again," she said, as she arose. + +"If you will lie down too, instead of sitting by the fire. Do, mother." + +She did so; and they were soon both asleep. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +CROFTON QUIET. + + +The boys were all in the school-room in the grey of the morning;--no one +late. Mr. Tooke was already there. Almost every boy looked wistfully in +the grave face of the master;--almost every one but his own son. He +looked down; and it seemed natural: for his eyes were swollen with +crying. He had been crying as much as Proctor: but, then, so had Dale. + +"Your school-fellow is doing well," said Mr. Tooke, in a low voice, +which, however, was heard to the farthest end of the room. "His brother +will tell you that he saw him quietly asleep; and I have just seen him +so. He deserves to do well; for he is a brave little boy. He is the +youngest of you; but I doubt whether there is a more manly heart among +you all." + +There was a murmur, as if everybody wished to agree to this. That murmur +set Phil crying again. + +"As to how this accident happened," continued the master, "I have only +to say this. The coping-stone of the wall was loose,--had become +loosened by the frost. Of that I am aware. But it would not,--it could +not have fallen, if your school-fellow had not been pulled from the top +of the wall. Several hands pulled him,--as many as could get a hold. +Whose these hands were, it would be easy to ascertain; and it would not +be difficult to discover whose was the hand which first laid hold, and +gave the rest their grasp. But--" How earnestly here did every one look +for the next words!--"But your school-fellow considers the affair an +accident,--says he himself was cross." + +"No! No! We plagued him," cried many voices. + +"Well! he is sure no one meant him any harm, and earnestly desires that +no further inquiry may be made. For his part, nothing, he declares, +shall ever induce him to tell who first seized him." + +The boys were about to give a loud cheer, but stopped for Hugh's sake, +just in time. There was no want of signs of what they felt. There was no +noise; but there were many tears. + +"I do not think that a promise of impunity can be any great comfort to +those concerned," continued Mr. Tooke: "but such comfort as they can +find in it, they may. Both from my wish to indulge one who has just +sustained so great a misfortune, and because I think he is right, I +shall never inquire,--never wish to know more than I do of the origin of +this accident. His mother declares the same, on the part of both of his +parents. I hope you will every one feel yourselves put upon honour, to +follow my example." + +Another general murmur, in sign of agreement. + +"The only thing you can now do for your school-fellow," concluded the +master, "is to be quiet throughout the day. As soon as he can be +removed, he will be carried to Mr. Shaw's. Till then, you will take care +that he loses no rest through you.--Now, first class, come up." + +While this class was up, Phil's neighbour began whispering; and the next +boy leaned over to hear; and one or two came softly up behind: but, +though they were busily engaged in question and answer, the master's +stern voice was not heard (as usual when there was talking) to say +"Silence there!" His class saw him looking that way, once or twice; but +he took no notice. Phil had seen his brother, and was privileged to +tell. + +"So you saw him! Did you get a real good sight of him?" + +"Yes. I stayed some time; half-an-hour, I dare say." + +"What did he look like? Did he say anything?" + +"Say anything!" cried Dale; "why, did you not hear he was asleep?" + +"What did he look like, then?" + +"He looked as he always does when he is asleep, as far as I could see. +But we did not bring the light too near, for fear of waking him." + +"Did you hear--did anybody tell you anything about it?" + +"Yes: my mother told me whatever I wanted to know." + +"What? What did she tell you?" + +"She says it will not be so very bad a lameness as it might have +been--as if he had not had his knee left. That makes a great difference. +They make a false foot now, very light; and if his leg gets quite +properly well, and we are not too much in a hurry, and we all take pains +to help Hugh to practise walking carefully at first, he may not be very +lame." + +"Oh! then, it is not so bad," said one, while Tooke, who was listening, +gave a deep sigh of relief. + +"Not so bad!" exclaimed Phil. "Why, he will never be so strong--so able +and active as other men. He will never be able to take care of himself +and other people. He will be so unlike other people always; and now, +while he is a boy, he will never----" + +The images of poor Hugh's privations and troubles as a school-boy were +too much for Phil; and he laid down his head on his desk, to hide his +grief. As for Tooke, he walked away, looking the picture of +wretchedness. + +"When will you see him again?" asked Dale, passing his arm round Phil's +neck. + +"To-day, if he is pretty well. My mother promised me that." + +"Do you think you could get leave for me too? I would not make any +noise, nor let him talk too much, if I might just see him." + +"I'll see about it," said Phil. + +As Mrs. Proctor was placing the pillows comfortably, for Hugh to have +his breakfast, after he was washed, and the bed made nicely smooth, he +yawned, and said he was sleepy still, and that he wondered what o'clock +it was. His mother told him it was a quarter past ten. + +"A quarter past ten! Why, how odd! The boys are half through school, +almost, and I am only just awake!" + +"They slept through the whole night, I dare say. You were awake a good +many times; and you and I had some talk. Do you remember that? or has it +gone out of your head with your sound sleep?" + +"No, no: I remember that," said Hugh. "But it was the oddest, longest +night!--and yesterday too! To think that it is not a whole day yet since +it all happened! Oh! here comes my breakfast. What is it? Coffee!" + +"Yes: we know you are fond of coffee; and so am I. So we will have some +together." + +"How comfortable!" exclaimed Hugh; for he was really hungry; which was +no wonder, after the pain and exhaustion he had gone through. His state +was like that of a person recovering from an illness--extremely ready to +eat and drink, but obliged to be moderate. + +When warmed and cheered by his coffee, Hugh gave a broad hint that he +should like to see Phil, and one or two more boys--particularly Dale. +His mother told him that the surgeon, Mr. Annanby, would be coming soon. +If he gave leave, Phil should come in, and perhaps Dale. So Hugh was +prepared with a strong entreaty to Mr. Annanby on the subject; but no +entreaty was needed. Mr. Annanby thought he was doing very well; and +that he would not be the worse for a little amusement and a little +fatigue this morning, if it did not go on too long. So Phil was sent +for, when the surgeon was gone. As he entered, his mother went out to +speak to Mr. Tooke, and write home. + +She then heard from Mr. Tooke and from Firth and Dale, how strong was +the feeling in Hugh's favour--how strong the sympathy for his misfortune +throughout the school. Hugh had seen no tears from her; but she shed +them now. She then earnestly entreated that Hugh might not hear what she +had just been told. He felt no doubt of the kindness of his +school-fellows, and was therefore quite happy on that score. He was very +young, and to a certain degree vain; and if this event went to +strengthen his vanity, to fill his head with selfish thoughts, it would +be a misfortune indeed. The loss of his foot would be the least part of +it. It lay with those about him to make this event a deep injury to him, +instead of the blessing which all trials are meant by Providence +eventually to be. They all promised that, while treating Hugh with the +tenderness he deserved, they would not spoil the temper in which he had +acted so well, by making it vain and selfish. There was no fear meantime +of Phil's doing him any harm in that way; for Phil had a great idea of +the privileges and dignity of seniority; and his plan was to keep down +little boys, and make them humble; not being aware that to keep people +down is not the way to make them humble, but the contrary. Older people +than Phil, however, often fall into this mistake. Many parents do, and +many teachers; and very many elder brothers and sisters. + +Phil entered the room shyly, and stood by the fire, so that the +bed-curtain was between him and Hugh. + +"Are you there, Phil?" cried Hugh, pulling aside the curtain. + +"Yes," said Phil; "how do you do this morning?" + +"Oh, very well. Come here. I want to know ever so many things. Have you +heard yet anything real and true about the new usher?" + +"No," replied Phil. "But I have no doubt it is really Mr. Crabbe who is +coming; and that he will be here after Christmas. Why, Hugh, you look +just the same as usual!" + +"So I am, just the same, except under this thing," pointing to the hoop, +or basket, which was placed over his limb, to keep off the weight of the +bed-clothes. "I am not hurt anywhere else, except this bruise;" and he +showed a black bruise on his arm, such as almost any school-boy can +show, almost any day. + +"That's nothing," pronounced Phil. + +"The other was, though, I can tell you," declared Hugh. + +"Was it very, very bad? Worse than you had ever fancied?" + +"Oh! yes. I could have screamed myself to death. I did not, though. Did +you hear me, did anybody hear me call out?" + +"I heard you--just outside the door there--before the doctors came." + +"Ah! but not after, not while uncle was here. He cried so! I could not +call out while he was crying so. Where were you when they were doing +it?" + +"Just outside the door there. I heard you once--only once; and that was +not much." + +"But how came you to be there? It was past bedtime. Had you leave to be +up so late?" + +"I did not ask it; and nobody meddled with me." + +"Was anybody there with you?" + +"Yes, Firth. Dale would not. He was afraid, and he kept away." + +"Oh! is not he very sorry?" + +"Of course. Nobody can help being sorry." + +"Do they all seem sorry? What did they do? What do they say?" + +"Oh! they are very sorry; you must know that." + +"Anybody more than the rest?" + +"Why, some few of them cried; but I don't know that that shows them to +be more sorry. It is some people's way to cry--and others not." + +Hugh wished much to learn something about Tooke; but, afraid of showing +what was in his thoughts, he went off to quite another subject. + +"Do you know, Phil," said he, "you would hardly believe it; but I have +never been half so miserable as I was the first day or two I came here? +I don't care now, half so much, for all the pain, and for being lame, +and----Oh! but I can never be a soldier or a sailor--I can never go +round the world! I forgot that." + +And poor Hugh hid his face in his pillow. + +"Never mind!" said Phil, stooping over him very kindly. "Here is a long +time before you; and you will get to like something else just as well. +Papa wanted to be a soldier, you remember, and could not; and he is as +happy as ever he can be, now that he is a shop-keeper in London. Did you +ever see anybody merrier than my father is? I never did. Come! cheer up, +Hugh! You will be very happy somehow." + +Phil kissed him; and when Hugh looked up in surprise, Phil's eyes were +full of tears. + +"Now I have a good mind to ask you," said Hugh, "something that has been +in my mind ever since." + +"Ever since when?" + +"Ever since I came to Crofton. What could be the reason that you were +not more kind to me then?" + +"I! not kind?" said Phil, in some confusion. "Was not I kind?" + +"No. At least I thought not. I was so uncomfortable,--I did not know +anybody, or what to do; and I expected you would show me, and help me. I +always thought I could not have felt lonely with you here; and then when +I came, you got out of my way, as if you were ashamed of me, and you did +not help me at all; and you laughed at me." + +"No; I don't think I did that." + +"Yes, you did, indeed." + +"Well, you know, little boys always have to shift for themselves when +they go to a great school----" + +"But why, if they have brothers there? That is the very thing I want to +know. I think it is very cruel." + +"I never meant to be cruel, of course. But--but--the boys were all ready +to laugh at me about a little brother that was scarcely any better than +a girl:--and consider how you talked on the coach, and what ridiculous +hair you had,--and what a fuss you made about your money and your +pocket,--and how you kept popping out things about Miss Harold, and the +girls, and Susan." + +"You _were_ ashamed of me, then." + +"Well, what wonder if I was?" + +"And you never told me about all these things. You let me learn them all +without any warning, or any help." + +"To be sure. That is the way all boys have to get on. They must make +their own way." + +"If ever little Harry comes to Crofton," said Hugh, more to himself than +to Phil, "I will not leave him in the lurch,--I will never be ashamed of +him. Pray," said he, turning quickly to Phil, "are you ashamed of me +still?" + +"Oh, no," protested Phil. "You can shift for yourself,--you can play, +and do everything like other boys, now. You----" + +He stopped short, overcome with the sudden recollection that Hugh would +never again be able to play like other boys,--to be like them in +strength, and in shifting for himself. + +"Ah! I see what you are thinking of," said Hugh. "I am so afraid you +should be ashamed of me again, when I come into the playground. The boys +will quiz me;--and if you are ashamed of me----" + +"Oh, no, no!" earnestly declared Phil. "There is nobody in the world +that will quiz you;--or, if there is, they had better take care of me, I +can tell them. But nobody will. You don't know how sorry the boys are. +Here comes Dale. He will tell you the same thing." + +Dale was quite sure that any boy would, from this time for ever, be sent +to Coventry who should quiz Hugh for his lameness. There was not a boy +now at Crofton who would not do anything in the world to help him. + +"Why, Dale, how you have been crying!" exclaimed Hugh. "Is anything +wrong in school? Can't you manage your verses yet?" + +"I'll try that to-night," said Dale, cheerfully. "Yes I'll manage them. +Never mind what made my eyes red; only, if such a thing had happened to +me, you would have cried,--I am sure of that." + +"Yes, indeed," said Phil. + +"Now, Proctor, you had better go," said Dale. "One at a time is enough +to-day; and I shall not stay long." + +Phil agreed, and actually shook hands with Hugh before he went. + +"Phil is so kind to-day!" cried Hugh, with glee; "though he is +disappointed of going to uncle Shaw's on my account. And I know he had +reckoned on it. Now, I want to know one thing,--where did Mr. Tooke +sleep last night? for this is his bed." + +Dale believed he slept on the sofa. He was sure, at least, that he had +not taken off his clothes; for he had come to the door several times in +the course of the night, to know how all was going on. + +"Why, I never knew that!" cried Hugh. "I suppose I was asleep. Dale, +what do you think is the reason that our fathers and mothers and people +take care of us as they do?" + +"How do you mean?" + +"Why, Agnes and I cannot make it out. When we were by the sea-side, +mother took us a great way along the beach, to a place we did not know +at all; and she bade us pick up shells, and amuse ourselves, while she +went to see a poor woman that lived just out of sight. We played till we +were quite tired; and then we sat down; and still she did not come. At +last, we were sure that she had forgotten all about us; and we did not +think she would remember us any more: and we both cried. Oh! how we did +cry! Then a woman came along, with a basket at her back, and a great net +over her arm: and she asked us what was the matter; and when we told +her, she said she thought it was not likely that mother would forget us. +And then she bade us take hold of her gown, one on each side, and she +would try to take us to mother, and the next thing was mother came in +sight. When the woman told her what we had said, they both laughed; and +mother told us it was impossible that she should leave us behind. I +asked Agnes afterwards why it was impossible; and she did not know; and +I am sure she was as glad as I was to see mother come in sight. If she +really never can forget us, what makes her remember us?" + +Dale shook his head. He could not tell. + +"Because," continued Hugh, "we can't do anything for anybody, and we +give a great deal of trouble. Mother sits up very late, sometimes till +near twelve, mending our things. There is that great basket of stockings +she has to mend, once a fortnight! And papa works very hard to got +money; and what a quantity he pays for our schooling, and our clothes, +and everything!" + +"Everybody would think it very shameful if he did not," suggested Dale. +"If he let you go ragged and ignorant, it would be wicked." + +"But why?" said Hugh, vehemently. "That is what I want to know. We are +not worth anything. We are nothing but trouble. Only think what so many +people did yesterday! My mother came a journey; and uncle and aunt Shaw +came: and mother sat up all night; and Mr. Tooke never went to bed,--and +all about me! I declare I can't think why." + +Dale felt as if he knew why; but he could not explain it. Mrs. Proctor +had heard much of what they were saying. She had come in before closing +her letter to Mr. Proctor, to ask whether Hugh wished to send any +particular message home. As she listened, she was too sorry to feel +amused. She perceived that she could not have done her whole duty to her +children, if there could be such a question as this in their +hearts--such a question discussed between them, unknown to her. She +spoke now; and Hugh started, for he was not aware that she was in the +room. + +She asked both the boys why they thought it was that before little birds +are fledged, the parent birds bring them food, as often as once in a +minute, all day long for some weeks. Perhaps no creatures can go through +harder work than this; and why do they do it? for unfledged birds, which +are capable of nothing whatever but clamouring for food, are as useless +little creatures as can be imagined. Why does the cat take care of her +little blind kitten with so much watchfulness, hiding it from all +enemies till it can take care of itself. It is because love does not +depend on the value of the creature loved--it is because love grows up +in our hearts at God's pleasure, and not by our own choice; and it is +God's pleasure that the weakest and the least useful and profitable +should be the most beloved, till they become able to love and help in +their turn. + +"Is it possible, my dear," she said to Hugh, "that you did not know +this,--you who love little Harry so much, and take such care of him at +home? I am sure you never stopped to think whether Harry could do you +any service, before helping him to play." + +"No; but then----" + +"But what?" + +"He is such a sweet little fellow, it is a treat to look at him. Every +morning when I woke, I longed to be up, and to get to him." + +"That is, you loved him. Well: your papa and I love you all, in the same +way. We get up with pleasure to our business--your father to his shop, +and I to my work-basket--because it is the greatest happiness in the +world to serve those we love." + +Hugh said nothing; but still, though pleased, he did not look quite +satisfied. + +"Susan and cook are far more useful to me than any of you children," +continued his mother, "and yet I could not work early and late for them, +with the same pleasure as for you." + +Hugh laughed; and then he asked whether Jane was not now as useful as +Susan. + +"Perhaps she is," replied his mother; "and the more she learns and does, +and the more she becomes my friend,--the more I respect her: but it is +impossible to love her more than I did before she could speak or walk. +There is some objection in your mind still, my dear. What is it?" + +"It makes us of so much consequence,--so much more than I ever thought +of,--that the minds of grown people should be busy about us." + +"There is nothing to be vain of in that, my dear, any more than for +young kittens, and birds just hatched. But it is very true that all +young creatures are of great consequence; for they are the children of +God. When, besides this, we consider what human beings are,--that they +can never perish, but are to live for ever,--and that they are meant to +become more wise and holy than we can imagine, we see that the feeblest +infant is indeed a being of infinite consequence. This is surely a +reason for God filling the hearts of parents with love, and making them +willing to work and suffer for their children, even while the little +ones are most unwise and unprofitable. When you and Agnes fancied I +should forget you and desert you, you must have forgotten that you had +another Parent who rules the hearts of all the fathers and mothers on +earth." + +Hugh was left alone to think this over, when he had given his messages +home, and got Dale's promise to come again as soon as he could obtain +leave to do so. Both the boys were warned that this would not be till +to-morrow, as Hugh had seen quite company enough for one day. Indeed, he +slept so much, that night seemed to be soon come. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +LITTLE VICTORIES. + + +Though Mr. Tooke was so busy from having no usher, he found time to come +and see Hugh pretty often. He had a sofa moved into that room: and he +carried Hugh, without hurting him at all, and laid him down there +comfortably, beside the fire. He took his tea there, with Mrs. Proctor; +and he brought up his newspaper, and read from it anything which he +thought would amuse the boy. He smiled at Hugh's scruple about occupying +his room, and assured him that he was quite as well off in Mr. Carnaby's +room, except that it was not so quiet as this, and therefore more fit +for a person in health than for an invalid. Mr. Tooke not only brought +up plenty of books from the school library, but lent Hugh some valuable +volumes of prints from his own shelves. + +Hugh could not look at these for long together. His head soon began to +ache, and his eyes to be dazzled; for he was a good deal weakened. His +mother observed also that he became too eager about views in foreign +countries, and that he even grew impatient in his temper when talking +about them. + +"My dear boy," said she one evening, after tea, when she saw him in this +state, and that it rather perplexed Mr. Tooke, "if you remember your +resolution, I think you will put away that book." + +"O, mother!" exclaimed he, "you want to take away the greatest pleasure +I have!" + +"If it is a pleasure, go on. I was afraid it was becoming a pain." + +Mr. Tooke did not ask what this meant; but he evidently wished to know. +He soon knew, for Hugh found himself growing more fidgety and more +cross, the further he looked in the volume of Indian Views, till he +threw himself back upon the sofa, and stuffed his handkerchief into his +mouth, and stared at the fire, struggling, as his mother saw, to help +crying. "I will take away the book,--shall I, my dear?" + +"Yes, mother. O dear! I shall never keep my vow, I know." + +Mrs. Proctor told Mr. Tooke that Hugh had made a resolution which she +earnestly hoped he might be able to keep;--to bear cheerfully every +disappointment and trouble caused by this accident, from the greatest to +the least,--from being obliged to give up being a traveller by-and-by, +to the shoemaker's wondering that he wanted only one shoe. Now, if +looking at pictures of foreign countries made him less cheerful, it +seemed to belong to his resolution to give up that pleasure for the +present. Hugh acknowledged that it did; and Mr. Tooke, who was pleased +at what he heard, carried away the Indian Views, and brought instead a +very fine work on Trades, full of plates representing people engaged in +every kind of trade and manufacture. Hugh was too tired to turn over any +more pages to-night: but his master said the book might stay in the room +now, and when Hugh was removed, it might go with him; and, as he was +able to sit up more, he might like to copy some of the plates. + +"Removed!" exclaimed Hugh. + +His mother smiled, and told him that he was going on so well that he +might soon now be removed to his uncle's. + +"Where," said Mr. Tooke, "you will have more quiet and more liberty than +you can have here. Your brother, and any other boys you like, can run +over to see you at any time; and you will be out of the noise of the +playground." + +"I wonder how it is there is so little noise from the playground here," +said Hugh. + +"It is because the boys have been careful to make no noise since your +accident. We cannot expect them to put themselves under such restraint +for long." + +"O no, no! I had better go. But, mother, you----you----aunt Shaw is very +kind, but----" + +"I shall stay with you as long as you want me." + +Hugh was quite happy. + +"But how in the world shall I get there?" he presently asked. "It is two +whole miles; and we can't lay my leg up in the gig: besides its being so +cold." + +His mother told him that his uncle had a very nice plan for his +conveyance. Mr. Annanby approved of it, and thought he might be moved +the first sunny day. + +"What, to-morrow?" + +"Yes, if the sun shines." + +Mr. Tooke unbolted the shutter, and declared that it was such a bright +starry evening that he thought to-morrow would be fine. + +The morning was fine; and during the very finest part of it came Mr. +Shaw. He told Hugh that there was a good fire blazing at home in the +back room that looked into the garden, which was to be Hugh's. From the +sofa by the fire-side one might see the laurustinus on the +grass-plot,--now covered with flowers: and when the day was warm enough +to let him lie in the window, he could see the mill, and all that was +going on round it. + +Hugh liked the idea of all this: but he still looked anxious. + +"Now tell me," said his uncle, "what person in all the world you would +like best for a companion." + +"In all the world!" exclaimed Hugh. "Suppose I say the Great Mogul!" + +"Well; tell us how to catch him, and we will try. Meantime, you can have +his picture. I believe we have a pack of cards in the house." + +"But do you mean really, uncle,--the person I should like best in all +the world,--out of Crofton?" + +"Yes; out with it!" + +"I should like Agnes best," said Hugh, timidly. + +"We thought as much. I am glad we were right. Well, my boy, Agnes is +there." + +"Agnes there! Only two miles off! How long will she stay?" + +"O, there is no hurry about that. We shall see when you are well what to +do next." + +"But will she stay till the holidays?" + +"O, yes, longer than that, I hope." + +"But then she will not go home with me for the holidays?" + +"Never mind about the holidays now. Your holidays begin to-day. You have +nothing to do but to get well now, and make yourself at home at my +house, and be merry with Agnes. Now shall we go, while the sun shines? +Here is your mother all cloaked up in her warm things." + +"O, mother! Agnes is come," cried Hugh. + +This was no news; for it was his mother who had guessed what companion +he would like to have. She now showed her large warm cloak, in which +Hugh was to be wrapped; and his neck was muffled up in a comforter. + +"But how am I to go?" asked Hugh, trembling with this little bustle. + +"Quietly in your bed," said his uncle. "Come, I will lift you into it." + +And his uncle carried him downstairs to the front door, where two of Mr. +Shaw's men stood with a litter, which was slung upon poles, and carried +like a sedan-chair. There was a mattress upon the litter, on which Hugh +lay as comfortably as on a sofa. He said it was like being carried in a +palanquin in India,--if only there was hot sunshine, and no frost and +snow. + +Mr. Tooke, and Mrs. Watson, and Firth shook hands with Hugh, and said +they should be glad to see him back again: and Mr. Tooke added that some +of the boys should visit him pretty often till the breaking-up. Nobody +else was allowed to come quite near; but the boys clustered at that side +of the playground, to see as much as they could. Hugh waved his hand; +and every boy saw it; and in a moment every hat and cap was off, and +the boys gave three cheers,--the loudest that had ever been heard at +Crofton. The most surprising thing was that Mr. Tooke cheered, and Mr. +Shaw too. The men looked as if they would have liked to set down the +litter, and cheer too: but they did not quite do that. They only smiled +as if they were pleased. + +There was one person besides who did not cheer. Tooke stood apart from +the other boys, looking very sad. As the litter went down the by-road, +he began to walk away; but Hugh begged the men to stop, and called to +Tooke. Tooke turned: and when Hugh beckoned, he forgot all about bounds, +leaped the paling, and came running. Hugh said, + +"I have been wanting to see you so! but I did not like to ask for you +particularly." + +"I wish I had known that." + +"Come and see me,--do," said Hugh. "Come the very first, wont you?" + +"If I may." + +"Oh, you may, I know." + +"Well, I will, thank you. Good-bye." + +And on went the litter, with Mrs. Proctor and Mr. Shaw walking beside +it. The motion did not hurt Hugh at all; and he was so warmly wrapped +up, and the day so fine, that he was almost sorry when the two miles +were over. And yet there was Agnes out upon the steps; and she sat +beside him on the sofa in his cheerful room, and told him that she had +nothing to do but to wait on him, and play with him. She did not tell +him yet that she must learn directly to nurse him, and, with her aunt's +help, fill her mother's place, because her mother was much wanted at +home: but this was in truth one chief reason for her coming. + +Though there was now really nothing the matter with Hugh--though he ate, +drank, slept, and gained strength--his mother would not leave him till +she saw him well able to go about. + +The carpenter soon came, with some crutches he had borrowed for Hugh to +try; and when they were sure of the right length, Hugh had a new pair. +He found it rather nervous work at first, using them; and he afterwards +laughed at the caution with which he began. First, he had somebody to +lift him from his seat, and hold him till he was firm on his crutches. +Then he carefully moved forwards one crutch at a time, and then the +other; and he put so much strength into it, that he was quite tired when +he had been once across the room and back again. Every stumble made him +shake all over. He made Agnes try; and he was almost provoked to see how +lightly she could hop about; but then, as he said, she could put a +second foot down to save herself, whenever she pleased. Every day, +however, walking became easier to him; and he even discovered, when +accidentally left alone, and wanting something from the opposite end of +the room, that he could rise, and set forth by himself, and be +independent. And in one of these excursions it was that he found the +truth of what Agnes had told him--how much easier it was to move both +crutches together. When he showed his mother this, she said she thought +he would soon learn to do with only one. + +Hugh found himself subject to very painful feelings sometimes--such as +no one quite understood, and such as he feared no one was able to pity +as they deserved. A surprise of this sort happened to him the evening +before his father was to come to see him, and to fetch away his mother. + +It was the dark hour in the afternoon--the hour when Mrs. Proctor and +her children enjoyed every day a quiet talk, before Mr. Shaw came to +carry Hugh into his aunt's parlour to tea. Nothing could be merrier than +Hugh had been; and his mother and Agnes were chatting, when they thought +they heard a sob from the sofa. They spoke to Hugh, and found that he +was indeed crying bitterly. + +"What is it, my dear?" said his mother. "Agnes, have we said anything +that could hurt him?" + +"No, no," sobbed Hugh. "I will tell you presently." + +And presently he told them that he was so busy listening to what they +said, that he forgot everything else, when he felt as if something had +got between two of his toes; unconsciously he put his hand down, and his +foot was not there! Nothing could be plainer than the feeling in his +toes: and then, when he put out his hand, and found nothing, it was so +terrible--it startled him so. + +It was a comfort to him to find that his mother knew all about this. She +came and kneeled beside his sofa, and told him that many persons who had +lost a limb considered this odd feeling the most painful thing they had +to bear for some time; but that, though the feeling would return +occasionally through life, it would cease to be painful. When he had +become so used to do without his foot as to leave off wanting or wishing +for it, he would perhaps make a joke of the feeling, instead of being +disappointed. At least she knew that some persons did so who had lost a +limb. + +This did not comfort Hugh much, for every prospect had suddenly become +darkened. He said he did not know how he should bear his misfortune;--he +was pretty sure he could not bear it. It seemed so long already since it +had happened! And when he thought of the long long days, and months, and +years, to the end of his life, and that he should never run and play, +and never be like other people, and never able to do the commonest +things without labour and trouble, he wished he was dead. He had rather +have died. + +Agnes thought he must be miserable indeed, if he could venture to say +this to his mother. She glanced at her mother's face; but there was no +displeasure there. Mrs. Proctor said this feeling was very natural. She +had felt it herself, under smaller misfortunes than Hugh's: but she had +found that, though the prospect appears all strewn with troubles, they +come singly, and are not worth minding, after all. She told Hugh that, +when she was a little girl, very lazy--fond of her bed--fond of her +book--and not at all fond of washing and dressing---- + +"Why, mother, you!" exclaimed Hugh. + +"Yes; that was the sort of little girl I was. Well, I was in despair, +one day, at the thought that I should have to wash, and clean my teeth, +and brush my hair, and put on every daily article of dress, every +morning, as long as I lived. There was nothing I disliked so much; and +yet it was the thing that must be done every day of my whole life." + +"Did you tell anybody?" asked Hugh. + +"No; I was ashamed to do that: but I remember I cried. You see how it +turns out. Grown people, who have got to do everything by habit, so +easily as not to think about it, wash and dress every morning, without +ever being weary of it. We do not consider so much as once a year what +we are doing at dressing-time, though at seven years old it is a very +laborious and tiresome affair to get ready for breakfast." + +"It is the same about writing letters," observed Agnes. "The first +letter I ever wrote was to aunt Shaw; and it took so long, and was so +tiresome, that, when I thought of all the exercises I should have to +write for Miss Harold, and all the letters that I must send to my +relations when I grew up, I would have given everything I had in the +world not to have learned to write. Oh! how I pitied papa, when I saw +sometimes the pile of letters that were lying to go to the post!" + +"And how do you like corresponding with Phil now?" + +Agnes owned, with blushes, that she still dreaded the task for some days +before, and felt particularly gay when it was done. Her mother believed +that, if infants could think and look forward, they would be far more +terrified with the prospect of having to walk on their two legs all +their lives, than lame people could be at having to learn the art in +part over again. Grown people are apt to doubt whether they can learn a +new language, though children make no difficulty about it: the reason of +which is, that grown people see at one view the whole labour, while +children do not look beyond their daily task. Experience, however, +always brings relief. Experience shows that every effort comes at its +proper time, and that there is variety or rest in the intervals. People +who have to wash and dress every morning have other things to do in the +after-part of the day; and, as the old fable tells us, the clock that +has to tick, before it is worn out, so many millions of times as it +perplexes the mind to think of, has exactly the same number of seconds +to do it in; so that it never has more work on its hands than it can get +through. So Hugh would find that he could move about on each separate +occasion, as he wanted; and practice would, in time, enable him to do it +without any more thought than it now cost him to put all the bones of +his hands in order, so as to carry his tea and bread-and-butter to his +mouth. + +"But that is not all--nor half what I mean," said Hugh. + +"No, my dear; nor half what you will have to make up your mind to bear. +You will have a great deal to bear, Hugh. You resolved to bear it all +patiently, I remember: but what is it that you dread the most?" + +"Oh! all manner of things. I can never do things like other people." + +"Some things. You can never play cricket, as every Crofton boy would +like to do. You can never dance at your sisters' Christmas parties." + +"Oh! mamma!" cried Agnes, with tears in her eyes, and the thought in her +mind that it was cruel to talk so. + +"Go on! go on!" cried Hugh, brightening. "You know what I feel, mother; +and you don't keep telling me, as aunt Shaw does (and even Agnes +sometimes), that it wont signify much, and that I shall not care, and +all that; making out that it is no misfortune hardly, when I know what +it is, and they don't." + +"That is a common way of trying to give comfort, and it is kindly +meant," said Mrs. Proctor. "But those who have suffered much themselves +know a better way. The best way is not to deny any of the trouble or the +sorrow, and not to press on the sufferer any comforts which he cannot +now see and enjoy. If comforts arise, he will enjoy them as they come." + +"Now then, go on," said Hugh. "What else?" + +"There will be little checks and mortifications continually--when you +see boys leaping over this, and climbing that, and playing at the other, +while you must stand out, and can only look on. And some people will +pity you in a way you don't like; and some may even laugh at you." + +"O mamma!" exclaimed Agnes. + +"I have seen and heard children in the street do it," replied Mrs. +Proctor. "This is a thing almost below notice; but I mentioned it while +we were reckoning up our troubles." + +"Well, what else?" said Hugh. + +"Sooner or later, you will have to follow some way of life, determined +by this accident, instead of one that you would have liked better. But +we need not think of this yet:--not till you have become quite +accustomed to your lameness." + +"Well, what else?" + +"I must ask you now. I can think of nothing more; and I hope there is +not much else; for indeed I think here is quite enough for a boy--or any +one else--to bear." + +"I will bear it, though,--you will see." + +"You will find great helps. These misfortunes, of themselves, strengthen +one's mind. They have some advantages too. You will be a better scholar +for your lameness, I have no doubt. You will read more books, and have a +mind richer in thoughts. You will be more beloved;--not out of mere +pity; for people in general will soon leave off pitying you, when once +you learn to be active again; but because you have kept faith with your +school-fellows, and shown that you can bear pain. Yes, you will be more +loved by us all; and you yourself will love God more for having given +you something to bear for his sake." + +"I hope so,--I think so," said Hugh. "O mother! I may be very happy +yet." + +"Very happy; and, when you have once made up your mind to everything, +the less you think and speak about it, the happier you will be. It is +very right for us now, when it is all new, and strange, and painful, to +talk it well over; to face it completely: but when your mind is made up, +and you are a Crofton boy again, you will not wish to speak much of your +own concerns, unless it be to me, or to Agnes, sometimes, when your +heart is full." + +"Or to Dale, when you are far off." + +"Yes,--to Dale, or some one friend at Crofton. But there is only one +Friend that one is quite sure to get strength from,--the same who has +given strength to all the brave people that ever lived, and comfort to +all sufferers. When the greatest of all sufferers wanted relief, what +did he do?" + +"He went by himself, and prayed," said Agnes. + +"Yes, that is the way," observed Hugh, as if he knew by experience. + +Mr. Shaw presently came, to say that tea was ready. + +"I am too big a baby to be carried now," cried Hugh, gaily. "Let me try +if I cannot go alone." + +"Why,--there is the step at the parlour door," said Mr. Shaw, +doubtfully. "At any rate, stop till I bring a light." + +But Hugh followed close upon his uncle's heels, and was over the step +before his aunt supposed he was half way across the hall. After tea, his +uncle and he were so full of play, that the ladies could hardly hear one +another speak till Hugh was gone to bed, too tired to laugh any more. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +DOMESTIC MANNERS. + + +After Mr. Proctor had come and was gone, and Mrs. Proctor was gone with +him, Hugh began to wonder why Tooke had never paid the visit he had +promised. Several boys had called; some to thank Hugh for balls that he +had quilted; some to see how he got on; and some to bring him Crofton +news. Mr. Tooke had fastened his horse up at the door, in passing, and +stepped in for a few minutes, two or three times a week: but it was now +within six days of the holidays, and the one Hugh most wished to see had +not appeared. His uncle observed his wistful look when the door-bell +rang, and drew his conclusions. He said, on the Wednesday before the +breaking-up, that he was going to drive past the Crofton school; that it +was such a fine day that he thought Hugh might go with him, and perhaps +they might persuade some one to come home to dinner with them. + +Hugh had never enjoyed the open air more than during this drive. He had +yet much to learn about the country, and it was all as beautiful as it +was new. His uncle pointed out to him the fieldfares wheeling in flocks +over the fallows; and the rabbits in the warren, scampering away with +their little white tails turned up; and the robin hopping in the frosty +pathway; and the wild-ducks splashing among the reeds in the marshes. +They saw the cottagers' children trying to collect snow enough from the +small remains of the drifts to make snow-balls, and obliged to throw +away the dirty snow that would melt, and would not bind. As they left +the road, and turned through a copse, because Mr. Shaw had business with +Mr. Sullivan's gamekeeper, a pheasant flew out, whirring, from some +ferns and brambles, and showed its long tail-feathers before it +disappeared over the hedge. All these sights were new to Hugh: and all, +after pain and confinement, looked beautiful and gay. + +Mr. Shaw could not stop for Hugh to get out at Crofton; so, when his +arrival was seen, the boys were allowed to go out of bounds, as far as +the gig, to speak to their school-fellow. Mr. Shaw asked Tooke to mount, +and go home with them for the day; and Tooke was so pleased,--so +agreeably surprised to see Hugh look quite well and merry, that he +willingly ran off to ask leave, and to wash his face, and change his +jacket. When he had jumped in, and Hugh had bidden the rest good-bye, a +sudden shyness came over his poor conscious visitor: and it was not +lessened by Mr. Shaw telling Tooke that he did not do credit to Crofton +air,--so puny as he seemed: and that he looked at that moment more like +one that had had a bad accident than Hugh did. When Mr. Shaw perceived +how the boy's eyes filled with tears in an instant, he probably thought +within himself that Tooke was sadly weak-spirited, and altogether more +delicate than he had been aware of. + +Hugh was full of questions about Crofton matters, however; and long +before they reached Mr. Shaw's, they were chattering as busily as +possible. But then it was all spoiled to Tooke again by seeing Hugh +lifted out, and his crutches brought to him, and Agnes ready to take his +hat and cloak, instead of his being able to run about, doing everything +for himself. + +The sofa had been left in Hugh's room, and there was a fire there every +afternoon, for him and Agnes, that their aunt might have the parlour to +herself till tea-time. The three young people went therefore to this +room after dinner. Agnes felt a little uncomfortable, as she always did +when any Crofton boys came. They had so much to say to each other of +things that she did not understand, and so very little to say to her, +that she continually felt as if she was in the way. When she proposed, +as usual, that Hugh should go through his exercises in walking and +running (for she was indefatigable in helping him to learn to walk well, +and superintended his practice every afternoon), he refused hastily and +rather rudely. Of course, she could not know that he had a reason for +wishing not to show off his lameness before Tooke; and she thought him +unkind. He might indeed have remembered to ask her before to say nothing +this afternoon about his exercises. She took out her work, and sat down +at some distance from the boys; but they did not get on. It was very +awkward. At last, the boys' eyes met, and they saw that they should like +to talk freely, if they could. + +"Agnes," said Hugh, "cannot you go somewhere, and leave us alone?" + +"I hardly know where I can go," replied Agnes. "I must not disturb aunt; +and there is no fire anywhere else." + +"O, I am sure aunt wont mind, for this one afternoon. You can be as +still as a mouse; and she can doze away, as if nobody was there." + +"I can be as still as a mouse here," observed Agnes. "I can take my work +to that farthest window; and if you whisper, I shall not hear a word you +say. Or, if I do hear a word, I will tell you directly. And you will let +me come, now and then, and warm myself, if I find I cannot hold my +needle any longer." + +"No, no; that wont do. We can't talk so. Do just go, and see whether +aunt cannot let you be there for this one afternoon." + +Agnes did not like to refuse anything to Hugh: but she hesitated to take +such a bold step as this. In his eagerness, Hugh requested the same +favour of Tooke; but Tooke, more anxious than even Agnes to oblige, had +not courage for such an errand. Hugh snatched his crutches, and declared +he would go himself. But now Agnes gave way. She gathered up her work, +and left the room. Hugh little imagined where she went, this cold, +darkening December afternoon. She went to her own room, put on her +cloak, and walked up and down till tea was ready, without fire or +candle, and not very happy in her mind. + +Meanwhile the boys basked before a glowing fire. Tooke began directly to +open his full heart. + +"Was that true that your sister said at dinner, about your always +longing so to come to Crofton?" + +"Yes." + +"How sorry you must be that you came! How you must wish you had never +seen me!" + +"I knew there would be things to bear, whenever I came; and +particularly while I was the youngest. Your father told me that: and one +of the things that made me want to come more than ever was his telling +me how you bore things when you were the youngest--being set on the top +of that wall, and so on." + +"Indeed, indeed, I never meant to hurt you when I pulled your foot.--I +suppose you are quite sure that it was I that gave the first pull? Are +you?" + +"Why, yes; I am sure of that; and so are you: but I know very well that +you meant no harm; and that is the reason I would not tell. After what +you did about the sponge, I could not think you meant any harm to me." + +Tooke could not remember anything about a sponge; and when he was told, +he thought nothing of it. He went on-- + +"Do you think you shall never tell anybody, as long as you live, who +pulled you first?" + +"Never," said Hugh, "unless I tell it in my sleep; and that is not +likely, for I never think about it in the daytime,--or scarcely ever; +and when I can run about again, I dare say I shall never think of it at +all." + +"But will you ever run about?" + +"O yes! finely, you will see. I shall begin first with a little +stick-leg, very light. Mother is going to send some for me to try. When +I am a man, I shall have one that will look like a real foot; but that +will not be so light as the one you will see me with after the holidays. +But you do not half know what I can do now, with my crutches. Here, I +will show you." + +As he flourished about, and played antics, Agnes heard the pit-pat of +his crutches, and she thought she might as well have been there, if they +had told all their secrets, and had got to play. But the noise did not +last long, for Hugh's performances did not make Tooke very merry; and +the boys sat down quietly again. + +"Now, I'll tell you what," said Tooke. "I am a bigger and stronger boy +than you, without considering this accident. I'll take care of you all +the time you are at Crofton: and always afterwards, if I can. Mind you +that. If anybody teases you, you call me,--that's all. Say you will." + +"Why," said Hugh, "I had rather take care of myself. I had rather make +no difference between you and everybody else." + +"There now! You don't forgive me, after all." + +"I do,--upon my word, I do. But why should I make any difference between +you and the rest, when you did not mean me any harm,--any more than +they? Besides, it might make people suspect." + +"Well, let them. Sometimes I wish," continued Tooke, twisting himself +about in the uneasiness of his mind, "sometimes I wish that everybody +knew now. They say murderers cannot keep their secret. They are sure to +tell, when they cannot bear it any longer." + +"That is because of their consciences," said Hugh. "But you are not +guilty of anything, you know. I am sure I can keep a secret easily +enough, when I am not to blame in it." + +"Yes? you have shown that. But----" + +"Come! don't let us talk any more about that.--Only just this. Has +anybody accused you? Because I must know,--I must be on my guard." + +"Nobody has said a word, because my father put us all upon honour never +to mention it: but I always feel as if all their eyes were upon me all +day,--and sometimes in the night." + +"Nonsense! I don't believe anybody has pitched on you particularly. And +when school opens again, all their eyes will be on me, to see how I +manage. But I don't mean to mind that. Anybody may stare that likes." + +Hugh sighed, however, after saying this; and Tooke was silent. At length +he declared,-- + +"Whatever you say against it, I shall always take your part: and you +have only to ask me, and I will always run anywhere, and do anything for +you. Mind you that." + +"Thank you," said Hugh. "Now tell me about the new usher; for I dare say +you know more than the other boys do. Holt and I shall be under him +altogether, I suppose." + +"Yes: and you will be well off, by what I hear. He is as little like Mr. +Carnaby as need be." + +All the rest of the afternoon was taken up with stories of Mr. Carnaby +and other ushers, so that the boys were surprised when the maid came to +tell them that tea was ready. + +Agnes was making tea. Hugh was so eager to repeat to his uncle some of +the good stories that he had just heard, that he did not observe, as his +aunt did, how red his sister's fingers were, and how she shivered still. + +"My dear," said Mrs. Shaw, "you have let these boys keep you away from +the fire." + +"Yes, aunt. Never mind! I shall be warm enough presently." + +"But you should not allow it, Agnes. How are they ever to learn manners, +if they are not made to give way to young ladies while they are young? +Boys are sure to be rude enough, at any rate. Their sisters should know +better than to spoil them." + +While poor Agnes' hardships were ending with a lecture, Hugh was +chattering away, not at all aware that he had treated his sister much as +Phil had treated him on his going to Crofton. If any one had told him +that he was tyrannical, he would have been as much surprised as he had +been at Phil's tyranny over him. He did not know indeed that his sister +had been in the cold and in the dark; but he might have felt that he had +used her with a roughness which is more painful to a loving heart than +cold and darkness are to the body. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +HOLT AND HIS DIGNITY. + + +There was no reason now why Hugh should not go to church. He and his +crutches went between his uncle and aunt in the gig one way, and between +his uncle and Agnes home again; and he could walk up the aisle quite +well. He had been pleased at the idea of attending church again, and had +never thought of the pain of being stared at for his lameness. This pain +came upon him as he entered the church; and as he went up towards his +uncle's pew, and saw the crowd of Crofton boys all looking at him, and +some of the poor people turning their heads as he passed, to observe how +he got on, he felt covered with confusion, and wished that he had waited +one more Sunday, when the Crofton boys would have been all gone, and +there would have been fewer eyes to mark his infirmity. But better +thoughts soon arose, and made him ashamed of his false shame; and +before the service was over, he felt how trifling is any misfortune +while we are friends with God, in comparison with the least wrong-doing +which sets us at a distance from him. He could not but feel after church +that he had rather, a thousand times, be as he was than be poor Lamb, +who slunk away from him, and hid himself behind the other boys,--his +mind sore and troubled, no doubt, about his debt, and his cheating +transaction, so long ago. Hugh asked some of the boys to bring up Lamb, +to shake hands before parting for the holidays; but he would not come, +and wriggled himself out of sight. Then Hugh recollected that he could +forgive Lamb as well without Lamb's knowing it; and he let him alone. + +Then there was Holt. He and Holt had parted on uneasy terms; and Holt +now looked shy and uncomfortable. Hugh beckoned to him, and asked him +whether he was really to remain at Crofton all the holidays. + +"Yes," said Holt. "I am the only one not going home, unless you are to +stay hereabouts. Even Tooke is to be at his uncle's in London. When do +you go home?" + +"Not quite yet;--not at the beginning of the holidays," said Hugh, +hesitating, and looking up at his uncle. For, in truth, he did not know +exactly what was planned for him, and had been afraid to ask. + +His uncle said, very kindly, that he was not going to part with Hugh +till school opened again. He would recover his full strength better in +the country; and his aunt had promised his parents that he should be a +stout boy again by the time he was wanted at Crofton. + +This was what Hugh had dreaded to hear; and when he thought that he +should not see his parents, nor little Harry, for so many months, his +heart sank. But he was still in the church; and perhaps the place helped +him to remember his mother's expectation that he should not fail, and +his own resolution to bear cheerfully whatever troubles his misfortune +brought upon him, from the greatest to the least. So when he heard his +uncle saying to Holt that he should ask Mr. Tooke to let him come and +spend two or three weeks at his house, he said so heartily that he hoped +Holt would come, that Holt felt that whatever discontent had been +between them was forgiven and forgotten. + +Phil went home, of course; and when Holt arrived at Mr. Shaw's, Agnes +also returned to London, that she might see something of Phil. Then the +two boys were glad to be together, though Hugh would rather have had his +dear friend Dale for a companion; and Holt knew that this was the case. +Yet Hugh saw, and was glad to see, that Holt was improved. He had +plucked up some spirit, and was more like other lads, though still, by +his own account, too much like a timid, helpless foreigner among the +rough Crofton boys. + +All the boys had some lessons to prepare in the holidays. Every one who +had ever written a theme had a theme to write now. Every boy who could +construe had a good piece of Latin to prepare; and all had either Latin +or English verses to learn by heart. Mrs. Shaw made a point of her young +visitors sitting down every morning after breakfast to their business; +and Hugh was anxious to spare no pains, this time, about his theme, +that, if he was to be praised, he might deserve it. He saw that Holt +could not fix his attention well, either upon work or play; and one +morning, when Hugh was pondering how, without knowing anything of +history, he should find a modern example to match well with his ancient +one (which he had picked up by chance), Holt burst upon his meditation +with-- + +"I have a good mind to tell you what has been upon my mind this ever so +long." + +"Wait a minute," said Hugh. "I must find my example first." + +No example could he find, to his satisfaction, this day. He gave it up +till to-morrow, and then asked Holt what was on his mind. But Holt now +drew back, and did not think he could tell. This made Hugh press; and +Hugh's pressing looked like sympathy, and gave Holt courage: so that the +thing came out at last. Holt was very miserable, for he was deep in +debt, and the boys never let him alone about it; and he did not see how +he should ever pay, as nobody was likely to give him any money. + +"Remember, it is only sixpence that you owe me--not a shilling," said +Hugh. + +Holt sighed. Perhaps he had hoped that Hugh would excuse him altogether. +He explained that this sixpence was not all, nor the chief part. He told +that, when the whole school was on the heath, one Saturday, they had +seen a balloon rising at a distance, and some boys began betting about +what direction it would move in when it ceased to rise perpendicularly. +The betting spread till the boys told him he must bet, or he would be +the only one left out, and would look like a shabby fellow. + +"And you did?" exclaimed Hugh. "How silly!" + +"You would have done it, if you had been there." + +"No: I should not." + +"Yes, you would. Or, if you had not, it would have been because of----I +know what." + +"Because of what, pray?" + +"Because of something the boys say about you. They say you are very fond +of money." + +"I! fond of money! I declare I never heard of such a thing." + +"Well, you know you made a great fuss about that half-crown." + +"As if it was about the money!" cried Hugh. "I should not have cared a +bit if my uncle had asked me for it back again the next day. It was the +being cheated. That was the thing. What a shame----" + +"By-the-bye, did your uncle ever ask what you did with that half-crown?" + +"No; but he will next week, at the January fair. He will be sure to ask +then. What a shame of the boys to say so, when I forgave----" + +He remembered, just in time, that he had better not boast, or speak +aloud, of having forgiven Lamb his debt in secret. He resolved that he +would not say another word, but let the boys see that he did not care +for money for its own sake. They were all wrong, but he would be above +noticing it; and, besides, he really had been very anxious about his +half-crown, and they had only mistaken the reason. + +"How much did you bet on the balloon?" he inquired of Holt. + +"A shilling; and I lost." + +"Then you owe eighteen-pence." + +"But that is not all. I borrowed a shilling of Meredith to pay +school-fines----" + +"What for?" + +"Chiefly for leaving my books about. Meredith says I promised to pay him +before the holidays; but I am sure I never did. He twitted me about it +so that I declare I would have fought him, if I could have paid him +first." + +"That's right," exclaimed Hugh. "Why, Holt, what a different fellow you +are! You never used to talk of fighting." + +"But this fellow Meredith plagued me so! If it had not been for that +shilling, I would have knocked him down. Well, here is half-a-crown +altogether; and how am I ever to get half-a-crown?" + +"Cannot you ask your uncle?" + +"No; you know I can't. You know he complains about having to pay the +bills for me before my father can send the money from India." + +"I suppose it would take too long to ask your father. Yes; of course it +would. There would be another holidays before you could have an answer; +and almost another still. I wonder what uncle Shaw would say. He is very +kind always, but it might set him asking----" + +"And what should I do, staying here, if he should be angry and refuse? +What should I do every day at dinner?" + +"I know what I would do!" said Hugh, decidedly. "I would tell Mr. Tooke +all about it, and ask him for half-a-crown." + +"Mr. Tooke? Oh! I dare not." + +"I dare,--in holiday-time. He is your master,--next to being your +father, while your father is so far away. You had better ask Mr. Tooke, +to be sure." + +"What go to Crofton, and speak to him? I really want not to be a +coward,--but I never could go and tell him." + +"Write him a letter, then. Yes: that is the way. Write a letter, and I +will get one of my uncle's men to carry it, and wait for an answer: and +then you will not be long in suspense, at any rate." + +"I wish I dare!" + +Holt was not long in passing from wishing to daring. He wrote a letter, +which Hugh thought would do, though he rather wished Holt had not +mentioned him as instigating the act. This was the letter: + + "THE MILL, _January 6th_. + + "DEAR SIR, + + "I am very unhappy; and Proctor thinks I had better tell you what + is upon my mind. I owe some money, and I do not see how I can ever + pay it, unless you will help me. You know I have owed Proctor + sixpence for ginger-beer, this long time; and as Lamb has never + paid him his share, Proctor cannot excuse me this debt. Then I owe + a boy a shilling, lent me for school-fines; and he never lets me + alone about it. Then I was led into betting a shilling on a + balloon, and I lost; and so I owe half-a-crown. If you would lend + me that sum, sir, I shall be obliged to you for ever, and I shall + never forget it. + + "Yours respectfully, + "THOMAS HOLT." + +Mr. Shaw's man George carried the letter; but he brought back neither +letter nor money: only a message that Mr. Tooke would call; which put +Holt into a great fright, and made Hugh rather uneasy. + +There was no occasion for this, however. Mr. Tooke came alone into the +room where the boys were sitting; and neither Mr. nor Mrs. Shaw appeared +during the whole time of his visit: a thing which was rather odd, but +which the boys were very glad of. When Mr. Tooke had told them a little +of some new boys expected after the holidays, he said: + +"Well, now, Holt, let us see what can be done about your affairs." + +Holt looked uneasy; for it seemed as if Mr. Tooke was not going to lend +him the money,--or to give it, which was what he had hoped, while using +the word "lend." + +"I am glad you asked me," continued Mr. Tooke; "for people, whether they +be men or boys, can usually retrieve their affairs when they have +resolution to face their difficulties. There is no occasion to say +anything about how you got into debt. We must consider how you are to +get out of it." + +"That is very kind indeed!" exclaimed Holt. + +"As to my lending you half-a-crown," continued Mr. Tooke, "that would +not be helping you out of debt; for if you had had any prospect of being +able to pay half-a-crown, you would not have needed to apply to me at +all." + +Holt sighed. Mr. Tooke went on. + +"I cannot give you the money. I have less to give away than I should +like to have, for the sake of the poor people round us. I cannot pay for +a bet and school-fines while the children of our neighbours want clothes +and fire." + +"No, sir, certainly," said both the boys. + +"What do people do, all the world over, when they want money?" asked Mr. +Tooke. Holt looked puzzled. Hugh smiled. Holt was hesitating whether to +guess that they put into the lottery, or dig for treasure, or borrow +from their friends, or what. Having always till lately lived in India, +where Europeans are rather lazy, and life altogether is very languid, he +did not see, as Hugh did, what Mr. Tooke could mean. + +"When men come begging to our doors," said Mr. Tooke, "what is the first +question we ask them?" + +Holt still look puzzled, and Hugh laughed, saying, + +"Why, Holt, you must know very well. We ask them whether they cannot get +work." + +"Work!" cried Holt. + +"Yes," said Mr. Tooke. "The fathers and uncles of both of you work for +what money they have; and so do I; and so does every man among our +neighbours who is satisfied with his condition. As far as I see, you +must get the money you want in the same way." + +"Work!" exclaimed Holt again. + +"How is he to get work?" asked Hugh. + +"That is where I hope to assist him," replied Mr. Tooke. "Are you +willing to earn your half-crown, Holt?" + +"I don't know how, sir." + +"Widow Murray thinks she should have a better chance for a new lodger if +her little parlour was fresh papered; but she is too rheumatic to do it +herself, and cannot afford to engage a workman. If you like to try, +under her directions, I will pay you as your work deserves." + +"But, sir, I never papered a room in my life!" + +"No more had the best paper-hanger in London when he first tried. But if +you do not like that work, what do you think of doing some writing for +me? Our tables of rules are dirty. If you will make good copies of our +rules for all the rooms in which they hang, in the course of the +holidays, I will pay you half-a-crown. But the copies must be quite +correct, and the writing good. I can offer you one other choice. Our +school library wants looking to. If you will put fresh paper covers to +all the books that want covering, write the titles on the backs, compare +the whole with the catalogue, and arrange them properly on the shelves, +I will pay you half-a-crown." + +Holt's pleasure in the prospect of being out of debt was swallowed up in +the anxiety of undertaking anything so new to him as work out of school. +Hugh hurried him on to a decision. + +"Do choose the papering," urged Hugh. "I can help you in that, I do +believe. I can walk that little way, to widow Murray's; and I can paste +the paper. Widow Murray will show you how to do it; and it is very easy, +if you once learn to join the pattern. I found that, when I helped to +paper the nursery closet at home." + +"It is an easy pattern to join," said Mr. Tooke. + +"There, now! And that is the chief thing. If you do the library books, I +cannot help you, you know. And remember, you will have two miles to walk +each way; four miles a day in addition to the work." + +"He can sleep at Crofton, if he likes," said Mr. Tooke. + +"That would be a queer way of staying at uncle Shaw's," observed Hugh. + +"Then there is copying the rules," said Holt. "I might do that here; and +you might help me, if you liked." + +"Dull work!" exclaimed Hugh. "Think of copying the same rules three or +four times over! And then, if you make mistakes, or if you do not write +clearly, where is your half-crown? I don't mean that I would not help +you, but it would be the dullest work of all." + +Mr. Tooke sat patiently waiting till Holt had made up his mind. He +perceived something that never entered Hugh's mind: that Holt's pride +was hurt at the notion of doing workman's work. He wrote on a slip of +paper these few words, and pushed them across the table to Holt, with a +smile:-- + + "No debtor's hands are clean, however white they be: + Who digs and pays his way--the true gentleman is he." + +Holt coloured as he read, and immediately said that he chose the +papering job. Mr. Tooke rose, tossed the slip of paper into the fire, +buttoned up his coat, and said that he should let widow Murray know that +a workman would wait upon her the next morning, and that she must have +her paste and brushes and scissors ready. + +"And a pair of steps," said Hugh, with a sigh. + +"Steps, of course," replied Mr. Tooke. "You will think it a pretty +paper, I am sure." + +"But, sir, she must quite understand that she is not at all obliged to +us,--that is, to me," said Holt. + +"Certainly. You will tell her so yourself, of course." + +Here again Holt's pride was hurt; but the thought of being out of +Meredith's power sustained him. + +When Mr. Tooke was gone, Hugh said to his companion, + +"I do not want you to tell me what Mr. Tooke wrote on that paper that +he burned. I only want to know whether he asked you to choose so as to +indulge me." + +"You! O no! there was not a word about you." + +"O! very well!" replied Hugh, not sure whether he was pleased or not. + +The next morning was so fine that there was no difficulty about Hugh's +walking the short distance to the widow Murray's; and there, for three +mornings, did the boys work diligently, till the room was papered, and +two cupboards into the bargain. Holt liked it very well, except for two +things:--that Hugh was sure he could have done some difficult corners +better than Holt had done them, if he could but have stood upon the +steps; and that widow Murray did so persist in thanking him, that he had +to tell her several times over that she was not obliged to him at all, +because he was to be paid for the job. + +Mr. Tooke came to see the work when it was done, and returned to Mr. +Shaw's with the boys, in order to pay Holt his half-crown immediately, +and yet so that the widow should not see. Hugh's eye followed Mr. +Tooke's hand as it went a second time into his pocket; and he was +conscious of some sort of hope that he might be paid something too. When +no more silver came forth, he felt aware that he ought not to have +dreamed of any reward for the help he had freely offered to his +companion: and he asked himself whether his school-fellows were +altogether wrong in thinking him too fond of money; and whether he was +altogether right in having said that it was justice that he cared for, +and not money, when he had pressed his debtor hard. However this might +be, he was very glad to receive his sixpence from Holt. As he put it in +his inner pocket, he observed that this would be all the money he +should have in the world when he should have spent his five shillings in +fairings for home. + +Holt made no answer. He had nothing to spend in the fair; still less, +anything left over. But he remembered that he was out of debt,--that +Meredith would twit him no more,--and he began to whistle, so +light-hearted, that no amount of money could have made him happier. He +only left off whistling to thank Hugh earnestly for having persuaded him +to open his heart to Mr. Tooke. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +TRIPPING. + + +When the day came for returning to Crofton, Hugh would have left his +crutches behind at his uncle's, so much did he prefer walking with the +little light stick-leg he had been practising with for a fortnight. But +his aunt shook her head at this, and ordered the crutches into the gig. +He still walked slowly and cautiously, and soon grew tired: and she +thought he might find it a relief at times to hop about on his crutches. +They were hidden under the bed, however, immediately on his arrival; so +anxious was Hugh to make the least of his lameness, and look as like +other boys as possible, both for Tooke's sake and his own. When the boys +had been all assembled for one day, and everybody had seen how little +Proctor could walk, the subject seemed to be dropped, and nothing was +talked of but the new usher. So Hugh said to himself; and he really +thought that he had fully taken his place again as a Crofton boy, and +that he should be let off all notice of his infirmity henceforth, and +all trials from it, except such as no one but himself need know of. He +was even not quite sure whether he should not be a gainer by it on the +whole. He remembered Tooke's assurances of protection and friendship; he +found Phil very kind and watchful; and Mrs. Watson told him privately +that he was to be free of the orchard. She showed him the little door +through which he might enter at any time, alone, or with one companion. +Here he might read, or talk, and get out of sight of play that he could +not share. The privilege was to be continued as long as no mischief was +done to anything within the orchard. The prospect of the hours, the +quiet hours, the bright hours that he should spend here alone with Dale, +delighted Hugh: and when he told Dale, Dale liked the prospect too; and +they went together, at the earliest opportunity, to survey their new +domain, and plan where they would sit in spring, and how they would lie +on the grass in summer, and be closer and closer friends for ever. + +Holt was encouraged to hope that he should have his turn sometimes; but +he saw that, though Hugh cared more for him than before the holidays, he +yet loved Dale the best. + +While Hugh was still in spirits at the thought that his worst trials +were over, and the pleasure of his indulgences to come, he felt very +complacent; and he thought he would gratify himself with one more +reading of the theme which he had written in the holidays,--the theme +which he really believed Mr. Tooke might fairly praise,--so great had +been the pains he had taken with the composition, and so neatly was it +written out. He searched for it in vain among his books and in his +portfolio. Then he got leave to go up to his room, and turn over all +his clothes. He did so in vain; and at last he remembered that it was +far indeed out of his reach,--in the drawer of his aunt's work-table, +where it had lain ever since she had asked him for it, to read to a lady +who had visited her. + +The themes would certainly be called for the first thing on Mr. Tooke's +appearance in school, at nine the next morning. The duties of the early +morning would leave no one any time to run to Mr. Shaw's then. If +anybody went, it must be now. The first day was one of little +regularity; it was only just beginning to grow dusk; any willing boy +might be back before supper; and there was no doubt that leave would be +given on such an occasion. So Hugh made his way to the playground as +fast as possible, and told his trouble to his best friends there,--to +Phil, and Holt, and Dale, and as many as happened to be within hearing. + +"Never mind your theme!" said Phil. "Nobody expected you to do one; and +you have only to say that you left it behind you." + +"It is not that," said Hugh. "I must show up my theme." + +"You can't, you know, if you have it not to show," said two or three, +who thought this settled the matter. + +"But it is there: it is at my uncle's, if any one would go for it," said +Hugh, beginning to be agitated. + +"Go for it!" exclaimed Phil. "What, in the dark,--this freezing +afternoon?" + +"It is not near dark; it will not be dark this hour. Anybody might run +there and back before supper." + +He looked at Dale; but Dale looked another way. For a moment he thought +of Tooke's permission to appeal to him when he wanted a friend: but +Tooke was not within hearing; and he dismissed the thought of pointing +out Tooke to anybody's notice. He turned away as Phil repeated that it +was quite certain that there would be no bad consequences from his being +unprovided with a theme, which was not one of his regular lessons. + +Phil was not quite easy, however: nor were the others who heard; and in +a minute they looked round for Hugh. He was leaning his face upon his +arms, against the orchard wall; and when, with gentle force, they pulled +him away, they saw that his face was bathed in tears. He sobbed out,-- + +"I took such pains with that theme,--all the holidays! And I can't go +for it myself." + +There were loud exclamations from many against Phil, against one +another, and against themselves; and now everybody was eager to go. Phil +stopped all who had started off saying that it was his business; and the +next moment, Phil was at Mr. Tooke's study-door, asking leave of absence +till supper. + +"Little Holt has been beforehand with you," said Mr. Tooke. "I refused +him, however, as he is not so fit as you to be out after dark. Off with +you!" + +Before Phil returned, it struck Hugh that he had been very selfish; and +that it was not a good way of bearing his trial to impose on any one a +walk of four miles, to repair a piece of carelessness of his own. Nobody +blamed him; but he did not like to look in the faces round him, to see +what people thought. When Phil returned, fresh and hungry from the +frosty air, and threw down the paper, saying,-- + +"There is your theme, and my aunt is very sorry." Hugh said,-- + +"Oh! Phil, and I am so sorry too! I hope you are not very tired." + +"Never mind!" replied Phil. "There is your theme." + +And with this Hugh was obliged to be satisfied; but it left him +exceedingly uncomfortable--sorry for Phil--disappointed in Dale--and +much more disappointed in himself. The thought of what Holt had wished +to do was the only pleasant part of it; and Hugh worked beside Holt, and +talked with him all the evening. + +Hugh felt, the next morning, as if he was never to have any pleasure +from his themes, though they were the lesson he did best. This one was +praised, quite as much as the former one: and he did not this time tell +anybody what Mr. Tooke had said about it: but the pleasure was spoiled +by the recollection that his brother had run four miles on account of +it, and that he himself must have appeared to others more selfish than +he thought them. He burned his theme, that he might the more easily +forget all about it; and the moment after he had done so, Phil said he +should have kept it, as other boys did theirs, for his parents to see. + +Mr. Crabbe was just such a master as it was good for the little boys to +be under. He did not punish capriciously, nor terrify them by anything +worse than his strictness. Very strict he was; and he thus caused them +some fear every day: for Holt was backward, and not very clever: and +Hugh was still much less able to learn than most other boys. But all +felt that Mr. Crabbe was not unreasonable, and they always knew exactly +how much to be afraid of. Whether he had inquired, or been told, the +story of Hugh's lameness, they did not know. He said nothing about it, +except just asking Hugh whether it tired him to stand up in class, +saying that he might sit at the top or bottom of the class, instead of +taking places if he chose. Hugh did find it rather fatiguing at first +but he did not like to take advantage of Mr. Crabbe's offer, because it +so happened that he was almost always at the bottom of his classes: and +to have withdrawn from the contest would have looked like a trick to +hide the shame, and might have caused him to be set down as a dunce who +never could rise. He thanked Mr. Crabbe, and said that if he should rise +in his classes, and keep a good place for some time, he thought he +should be glad to sit, instead of standing; but meantime he had rather +be tired. Then the feeling of fatigue went off before he rose, or saw +any chance of rising. + +This inability to do his lessons so well as other boys was a deep and +lasting grief to Hugh. Though he had in reality improved much since he +came to Crofton, and was now and then cheered by some proof of this, his +general inferiority in this respect was such as to mortify him every day +of his life, and sometimes to throw him almost into despair. He saw that +everybody pitied him for the loss of his foot, but not for this other +trouble, while he felt this to be rather the worst of the two; and all +the more because he was not sure himself whether or not he could help +it, as every one else seemed certain that he might. When he said his +prayer in his bed, he earnestly entreated that he might be able to bear +the one trouble, and be delivered from the other; and when, as the +spring came on, he was found by one friend or another lying on the grass +with his face hidden, he was often praying with tears for help in doing +this duty, when he was thought to be grieving that he could not play at +leaping or foot-ball, like other boys. And yet, the very next evening, +when the whole school were busy over their books, and there was nothing +to interfere with his work, he would pore over his lesson without taking +in half the sense, while his fancy was straying everywhere but where it +ought;--perhaps to little Harry, or the Temple Gardens at home, or to +Cape Horn, or Japan--some way farther off still. It did not often happen +now, as formerly, that he forgot before morning a lesson well learned +over-night. He was aware that now everything depended on whether he was +once sure of his lesson; but the difficulty was in once being sure of +it. + +Finding Phil's kindness continue through the first weeks and months of +the half-year, Hugh took courage at last to open his mind pretty freely +to his brother, offering to do anything in the world for Phil, if he +would only hear him his lessons every evening till he could say them +perfect. Phil was going to plead that he had no time, when Hugh popped +out-- + +"The thing is that it does not help me to say them to just anybody. +Saying them to somebody that I am afraid of is what I want." + +"Why, you are not afraid of me?" said Phil. + +"Yes I am--rather." + +"What for?" + +"Oh, because you are older;--and you are so much more of a Crofton boy +than I am--and you are very strict--and altogether----" + +"Yes, you will find me pretty strict, I can tell you," said Phil, unable +to restrain a complacent smile on finding that somebody was afraid of +him. "Well, we must see what we can do. I will hear you to-night, at any +rate." + +Between his feeling of kindness and the gratification of his vanity, +Phil found himself able to hear his brother's lessons every evening. He +was certainly very strict, and was not sparing of such pushes, joggings, +and ridicule as were necessary to keep Hugh up to his work. Those were +very provoking sometimes; but Hugh tried to bear them for the sake of +the gain. Whenever Phil would condescend to explain, in fresh words, the +sense of what Hugh had to learn, he saved trouble to both, and the +lesson went off quickly and easily: but sometimes he would not explain +anything, and soon went away in impatience, leaving Hugh in the midst of +his perplexities. There was a chance, on such occasions, that Firth +might be at leisure, or Dale able to help: so that, one way and another, +Hugh found his affairs improving as the spring advanced; and he began to +lose his anxiety, and to gain credit with the usher. He also now and +then won a place in his classes. + +Towards the end of May, when the trees were full of leaf, and the +evenings sunny, and the open air delicious, quite up to bedtime, Phil +became persuaded, very suddenly, that Hugh could get on by himself now; +that it was not fair that he should be helped; and that it was even +hurtful to him to rely on any one but himself. If Phil had acted +gradually upon this conviction, withdrawing his help by degrees, it +might have been all very well: but he refused at once and decidedly to +have anything more to do with Hugh's lessons, as he was quite old and +forward enough now to do them by himself. This announcement threw his +brother into a state of consternation not at all favourable to learning; +and the next morning Hugh made several blunders. He did the same every +day that week; was every afternoon detained from play to learn his +lessons again; and on the Saturday morning (repetition day) he lost all +the places he had gained, and left off at the bottom of every class. + +What could Mr. Crabbe suppose but that a sudden fit of idleness was the +cause of this falling back? It appeared so to him, and to the whole +school; and poor Hugh felt as if there was scorn in every eye that +looked upon his disgrace. He thought there could not be a boy in the +school who did not see or hear that he was at the bottom of every class. + +Mr. Crabbe always desired to be just: and he now gave Hugh the +opportunity of explaining, if he had anything to say. He remained in the +school-room after the boys had left it, and asked Hugh a question or +two. But Hugh sobbed and cried so bitterly that he could not speak so as +to be understood; and he did not wish to explain, feeling that he was +much obliged to Phil for his former help, and that he ought not to +complain to any master of its being now withdrawn. So Mr. Crabbe could +only hope that next week would show a great difference, and advise him +to go out with the rest this afternoon, to refresh himself for a new +effort. + +Hugh did not know whether he had not rather have been desired to stay at +home than go out among so many who considered him disgraced. It really +was hard (though Holt stood by him, and Dale was his companion as usual) +to bear the glances he saw, and the words that came to his ear. Some +boys looked to see how red his eyes were: some were surprised to see him +abroad, and hinted at favouritism because he was not shut up in the +school-room. Some asked whether he could say his alphabet yet; and +others whether he could spell "dunce." The most cruel thing of all was +to see Tooke in particularly high spirits. He kept away from Hugh; but +Hugh's eye followed him from afar, and saw that he capered and laughed, +and was gayer than at any time this half-year. Hugh saw into his heart +(or thought he did) as plain as he saw to the bottom of the clear stream +in the meadows, to which they were bound for their afternoon's sport. + +"I know what Tooke is feeling," thought he. "He is pleased to see me +lowered, as long as it is not his doing. He is sorry to see me suffer by +my lameness; because that hurts his conscience: but he is pleased to see +me wrong and disgraced, because that relieves him of the feeling of +being obliged to me. If I were now to put him in mind of his promise, to +stand by me, and protect me----I declare I will----it will stop his +wicked joy----it will make him remember his duty." + +Dale wondered to see Hugh start off, as fast as he could go, to overtake +the foremost boys who were just entering the meadow, and spreading +themselves over it. Tooke could, alas! like everybody else, go faster +than Hugh; and there was no catching him, though he did not seem to see +that anybody wanted him. Neither could he be made to hear, though Hugh +called him as loud as he could shout. Holt was so sorry to see Hugh hot +and agitated, that he made no objection to going after Tooke, though he +was pretty sure Tooke would be angry with him. Holt could run as fast as +anybody, and he soon caught the boy he was pursuing, and told him that +little Proctor wanted him very much indeed, that very moment. Tooke sent +him about his business, saying that he could not come; and then +immediately proposed brook-leaping for their sport, leading the way +himself over a place so wide that no lesser boy, however nimble, could +follow. Holt came running back, shaking his head, and showing that his +errand was in vain. Tooke was so full of play that he could think of +nothing else; which was a shame. + +"Ah! and you little know," thought Hugh, "how deep a shame it is." + +With a swelling heart he turned away, and went towards the bank of the +broader stream which ran through the meadows. Dale was with him in a +moment,--very sorry for him, because everybody else was at +brook-leaping,--the sport that Hugh had loved so well last autumn. Dale +passed his arm round Hugh's neck, and asked where they should sit and +tell stories,--where they could best hide themselves, so that nobody +should come and tease them. Hugh wished to thank his friend for this; +but he could not speak directly. They found a pleasant place among the +flowering reeds on the bank, where they thought nobody would see them; +and having given Holt to understand that they did not want him, they +settled themselves for their favourite amusement of story-telling. + +But Hugh's heart was too full and too sick for even his favourite +amusement; and Dale was perhaps too sorry for him to be the most +judicious companion he could have at such a time. Dale agreed that the +boys were hard and careless; and he added that it was particularly +shameful to bring up a boy's other faults when he was in disgrace for +one. In the warmth of his zeal, he told how one boy had been laughing at +Hugh's conceit about his themes, when he had shown to-day that he could +not go half through his syntax; and how he had heard another say that +all that did not signify half so much as his being mean about money. +Between Hugh's eagerness to hear, and Dale's sympathy, five minutes were +not over before Hugh had heard every charge that could be brought +against his character, and knew that they were all circulating this very +afternoon. In his agony of mind he declared that everybody at Crofton +hated him,--that he could never hold up his head there,--that he would +ask to be sent home by the coach, and never come near Crofton again. + +Dale now began to be frightened, and wished he had not said so much. He +tried to make light of it; but Hugh seemed disposed to do something +decided;--to go to his uncle Shaw's, at least, if he could not get home. +Dale earnestly protested against any such idea, and put him in mind how +he was respected by everybody for his bravery about the loss of his +foot. + +"Respected? Not a bit of it!" cried Hugh. "They none of them remember: +they don't care a bit about it." + +Dale was sure they did. + +"I tell you they don't. I know they don't. I know it for certain; and I +will tell you how I know. There is the very boy that did it,--the very +boy that pulled me from the wall----O! if you knew who it was, you would +say it was a shame!" + +Dale involuntarily sat up, and looked back, over the tops of the reeds, +at the boys who were brook-leaping. + +"Would you like to know who it was that did it, Dale?" + +"Yes, if you like to tell; but----And if he treats you ill, after the +way you used him, he cannot expect you should consider him +so----Besides, I am your best friend; and I always tell you everything!" + +"Yes, that you do. And he has treated me so shamefully to-day! And I +have nobody to speak to that knows. You will promise never--never to +tell anybody as long as you live." + +"To be sure," said Dale. + +"And you wont tell anybody that I have told you." + +"To be sure not." + +"Well, then----" + +Here there was a rustling among the reeds which startled them both, with +a sort of guilty feeling. It was Holt, quite out of breath. + +"I don't want to interrupt you," said he, "and I know you wish I would +not come; but the others made me come. The biggest boys lay that the +second size can't jump the brook at the willow-stump; and the +second-size boys want Dale to try. They made me come. I could not help +it." + +Hugh looked at Dale, with eyes which said, as plainly as eyes could +speak, "You will not go----you will not leave me at such a moment?" + +But Dale was not looking at his face, but at the clusters of boys beside +the brook. He said-- + +"You will not mind my going, just for one leap. It will hardly take a +minute. I shall not stay for a game. But I must have just one leap." + +And he was off. Holt looked after him, and then towards Hugh, hesitating +whether to go or stay. Hugh took no notice of him: so he went slowly +away; and Hugh was left alone. + +He was in an extreme perturbation. At the first moment, he was beyond +measure hurt with Dale. He did not think his best friend would have so +reminded him of his infirmity, and of his being a restraint on his +companions. He did not think any friend could have left him at such a +moment. Then it occurred to him, + +"What, then, am I? If Dale was selfish, what was I? I was just going to +tell what would have pointed out Tooke to him for life. I know as well +as can be that it was all accident his pulling me off the wall; and yet +I was going to bring it up against him; and for the very reason why I +should not,--because he has not behaved well to me. I was just going to +spoil the only good thing I ever did for anybody in my life. But it is +spoiled--completely spoiled. I shall never be able to trust myself +again. It is all by mere accident that it is not all over now. If Holt +had not come that very instant, my secret would have been out, and I +could never have got it back again! I could never have looked Tooke in +the face any more. I don't know that I can now; for I am as wicked as if +I had told." + +Dale came back presently, fanning himself with his cap. As he plunged +into the reeds, and threw himself down beside Hugh, he cried, + +"I did it! I took the leap, and came off with my shoe-soles as dry as a +crust. Ah! they are wet now; but that is with another leap I took for +sport. I told you I should not be long gone. Now for it! Who did it?" + +"I am not going to tell you, Dale,--not now, nor ever." + +"Why, that is too bad! I am sure I stay beside you often enough, when +the others are playing: you need not grudge me this one leap,--when the +boys sent for me, too." + +"It is not that, Dale. You are very kind always in staying beside me; +and I do not wish that you should give up play for my sake half so much +as you do. But I was very, very wrong in meaning to tell you that +secret. I should have been miserable by this time if I had." + +"But you promised. You must keep your promise. What would all the boys +say, if I told them you had broken your promise?" + +"If they knew what it was about, they would despise me for ever meaning +to tell--not for stopping short in time. That was only accident, +however. But my secret is my own still." + +Dale's curiosity was so strong, that Hugh saw how dangerous it was to +have tantalised it. He had to remind his friend of Mr. Tooke's having +put all the boys upon honour not to inquire on this subject. This +brought Dale to himself; and he promised never again to urge Hugh, or +encourage his speaking of the matter at all. They then went to +story-telling; but it would not do to-day. Hugh could not attend; and +Dale could not invent, while there was no sympathy in his hearer. He was +presently released, for it struck Hugh that he should like to write to +his mother this very afternoon. His heart was heavy, and he wanted to +tell her what was in it. Mr. Crabbe gave him leave to go home; and Dale +was in time for plenty more play. + +Hugh had the great school-room all to himself; and as the window before +his desk was open, he had the pleasure of the fresh air, and the smell +of the blossoms from the orchard, and the sound of the waving of the +tall trees in the wind, and the cawing of the rooks as the trees waved. +These things all made him enjoy scribbling away to his mother, as well +as finding his mind grow easier as he went on. Besides, he had not to +care for the writing; for he had met Mr. Tooke by the church, and had +got his leave to send his letter without anybody's looking at it, as he +had something very particular to say. He wrote,-- + + "Dear Mother,-- + + "It is Saturday afternoon, and I have come home from the meadows + before the rest, to tell you something that has made me very + uneasy. If I had told anybody in the world who pulled me off the + wall, it should and would have been you,--that night after it + happened: and I am afraid I should have told you, if you had not + prevented it: for I find I am not to be trusted when I am talking + with anybody I love very much. I have not told yet: but I should + have told Dale if Holt had not run up at the very moment. It makes + me very unhappy,--almost as much as if I had let it out: for how do + I know but that I may tell a hundred times over in my life, if I + could forget so soon? I shall be afraid of loving anybody very + much, and talking with them alone, as long as I live. I never felt + the least afraid of telling till to-day; and you cannot think how + unhappy it makes me. And then, the thing that provoked me to tell + was that boy's being surly to me, and glad that I was in disgrace + this morning, for doing my lessons badly all this week,--the very + thing that should have made me particularly careful how I behaved + to him; for his pulling me off the wall was by accident, after all. + Everything has gone wrong to-day; and I am very unhappy, and I feel + as if I should never be sure of anything again; and so I write to + you. You told me you expected me not to fail; and you see I have; + and the next thing is that I must tell you of it. + + "Your affectionate son, + "HUGH PROCTOR. + + "P.S. Phil has been very kind about my lessons, till this week + [_interlined_], when he has been very busy. + + "P.S. If you should answer this, please put 'private' outside, or + at the top; and then Mr. Tooke will not read it, nor anybody. But I + know you are very busy always; so I do not quite expect an answer." + +When the letter was finished and closed, Hugh felt a good deal relieved: +but still not happy. He had opened his heart to the best friend he had +in this world: but he still felt grievously humbled for the present, and +alarmed for the future. Then he remembered that he might seek comfort +from a better Friend still; and that He who had sent him his trial could +and would help him to bear it, with honour as well as with patience. As +he thought of this, he saw that the boys were trooping home, along the +road, and he slipped out, and into the orchard, where he knew he might +be alone with his Best Friend. He stayed there till the supper-bell +rang; and when he came in, it was with a cheerful face. He was as merry +as anybody at supper: and afterwards he found his lessons more easy to +him than usual. The truth was that his mind was roused by the conflicts +of the day. He said his lessons to Phil (who found time to-night to hear +him), without missing a word. When he went to bed, he had several +pleasant thoughts. His secret was still his own (though by no merit of +his); to-morrow was Sunday,--likely to be a bright, sweet May +Sunday,--his lessons were quite ready for Monday; and possibly there +might be a letter from his mother in the course of the week. + +Mrs. Proctor was in the midst of her Monday morning's business (and +Monday morning was the busiest of the week), when she received Hugh's +letter. Yet she found time to answer it by the very next post. When her +letter was handed to Hugh, with the seal unbroken, because 'private' was +written large on the outside, he thought she was the kindest mother that +ever was, to have written so soon, and to have minded all his wishes. +Her letter was,-- + + "Dear Hugh, + + "There was nothing in your letter to surprise me at all; for I + believe, if all our hearts were known, it would be found that we + have every one been saved from doing wrong by what we call + accident. The very best people say this of themselves, in their + thanksgivings to God, and their confessions to one another. Though + you were very unhappy on Saturday, I am not sorry that these things + have happened, as I think you will be the safer and the wiser for + them. You say you never till then felt the least afraid of telling. + Now you know the danger; and that is a good thing. I think you will + never again see that boy (whoever he may be), without being put + upon your guard. Still, we are all sadly forgetful about our duty; + and, if I were you, I would use every precaution against such a + danger as you have escaped,--it makes me tremble to think how + narrowly. If I were you, I would engage any friend I should become + intimate with, the whole time of being at school, and perhaps + afterwards, never to say a word about the accident,--or, at least, + about how it happened. Another way is to tell me your mind, as you + have now; for you may be sure that it is my wish that you should + keep your secret, and that I shall always be glad to help you to do + it. + + "But, my dear boy, I can do but little, in comparison with the best + Friend you have. He can help you without waiting for your + confidence,--even at the very instant when you are tempted. It is + He who sends these very accidents (as we call them) by which you + have now been saved. Have you thanked Him for saving you this time? + And will you not trust in His help henceforward, instead of + supposing yourself safe, as you now find you are not? If you use + his strength, I feel that you will not fail. If you trust your own + intentions alone, I shall never feel sure of you for a single hour, + nor be certain that the companion you love best may not be your + worst enemy, in breaking down your self-command. But, as you say + you were very unhappy on Saturday, I have no doubt you did go for + comfort to the right Friend, and that you were happier on Sunday. + + "Your sisters do not know that I am writing, as I consider your + letter a secret from everybody but your father, who sends his love. + You need not show this to Phil; but you can give him our love. Your + sisters are counting the days to the holidays; and so are some + older members of the family. As for Harry, he shouts for you from + the yard every day, and seems to think that every shout will bring + nearer the happy time when Phil and you will come home. + + "Your affectionate mother, + "JANE PROCTOR." + +Hugh was, of course, very glad of this letter. And he was glad of +something else;--that he had done the very things his mother had +advised. He had engaged Dale not to tempt him on this subject any more. +He had opened his heart to his mother, and obtained her help; and he had +sought a better assistance, and a higher comfort still. It was so +delightful to have such a letter as this,--to be so understood and +aided, that he determined to tell his mother all his concerns, as long +as he lived. When, in the course of the holidays, he told her so, she +smiled, and said she supposed he meant as long as _she_ lived; for she +was likely to die long before he did. Hugh could not deny this; but he +never liked to think about it:--he always drove away the thought; though +he knew, as his mother said, that this was rather cowardly, and that the +wisest and most loving people in the world remember the most constantly +and cheerfully that friends must be parted for a while, before they can +live together for ever. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +HOLT AND HIS HELP. + + +Nothing more was heard by Hugh, or any one else, of Lamb's debt. The +creditor himself chose to say nothing about it, so much was he annoyed +at being considered fond of money: but he was sure that Lamb's pockets +were filled, from time to time, as he was seen eating good things in +by-corners when everybody knew that his credit with his companions, and +with all the neighbouring tradespeople, was exhausted. It was surprising +that anybody could care so much for a shilling's worth of tarts or +fruit as to be at the trouble of any concealment, or of constantly +getting out of Hugh's way, rather than pay, and have done with it. When +Lamb was seen munching or skulking, Firth sometimes asked Hugh whether +he had got justice yet in that quarter: and then Hugh laughed; and Firth +saw that he had gained something quite as good,--a power of doing +without it good-humouredly, from those who were so unhappy as not to +understand or care for justice. + +In one respect, however, Hugh was still within Lamb's power. When Lamb +was not skulking, he was much given to boasting; and his boasts were +chiefly about what a great man he was to be in India. He was really +destined for India; and his own opinion was that he should have a fine +life of it there, riding on an elephant, with a score of servants always +about him, spending all his mornings in shooting, and all his evenings +at dinners and balls. Hugh did not care about the servants, sport, or +dissipation; and he did not see why any one should cross the globe to +enjoy things like these, which might be had at home. But it did make him +sigh to think that a lazy and ignorant boy should be destined to live +among those mountains, and that tropical verdure of which he had +read,--to see the cave-temples, the tanks, the prodigious rivers, and +the natives and their ways, of which his imagination was full, while he +must stay at home, and see nothing beyond London, as long as he lived. +He did not grudge Holt his prospect of going to India; for Holt was an +improved and improving boy, and had, moreover, a father there whom he +loved very much: but Hugh could never hear Lamb's talk about India +without being ready to cry. + +"Do you think," he said to Holt, "that all this is true?" + +"It is true that he is to go to India. His father has interest to get +him out. But I do not believe he will like it so well as he thinks. At +least, I know that my father has to work pretty hard,--harder than Lamb +ever worked, or ever will work." + +"O dear! I wish I could go and do the work; and I would send all the +money home to him (except just enough to live upon), and then he might +go to dinners and balls in London, as much as he liked, and I could see +the Hindoos and the cave-temples." + +"That is another mistake of Lamb's,--about the quantity of money," said +Holt. "I do not believe anybody in India is so rich as he pretends, if +they work ever so hard. I know my father works as hard as anybody, and +he is not rich; and I know the same of several of his friends. So it is +hardly likely that such a lazy dunce as Lamb should be rich, unless he +has a fortune here at home; and if he had that, I do not believe he +would take the trouble of going so far, to suffer by the heat." + +"I should not mind the heat," sighed Hugh, "if I could go. You must +write to me, Holt, all about India. Write me the longest letters in the +world; and tell me everything you can think of about the natives, and +Juggernaut's Car." + +"That I will, if you like. But I am afraid that would only make you long +the more to go,--like reading Voyages and Travels. How I do wish, +though, that you were going with me by-and-bye, as you let me go home +with you these holidays!" + +It was really true that Holt was going to London these holidays. He was +not slow to acknowledge that Hugh's example had put into him some of the +spirit that he had wanted when he came to Crofton, languid, indolent, +and somewhat spoiled, as little boys from India are apt to be; and Hugh, +for his part, saw now that he had been impatient and unkind towards +Holt, and had left him forlorn, after having given him hopes that they +were to be friends and companions. They were gradually becoming real +friends now; and the faster, because Holt was so humble as not to be +jealous of Hugh's still liking Dale best. Holt was satisfied to be liked +best when Dale could not be had; and as this was the case in the +Midsummer holidays, he was grateful to be allowed to spend them with the +Proctors. + +Hugh was so thankful for his father's kindness in giving him a companion +of his own age, and so pleased to show Holt little Harry, and the leads, +and the river, and his shelf of books, and Covent Garden Market, and +other wonders of London, that any unpleasant feelings that the boys had +ever entertained towards each other were quite forgotten, and they grew +more intimate every day. It touched Hugh's heart to see how sorry Holt +was for every little trial that befel him, on coming home, altered as he +was. Agnes herself did not turn red oftener, or watch more closely to +help him than Holt did. Hugh himself had to tell him not to mind when he +saw the shop-boy watching his way of walking, or little Harry trying to +limp like him, or Susan pretending to find fault with him, as she used +to do, as an excuse for brushing away her tears. Holt was one of the +first to find out that Hugh liked to be sent errands about the house, or +in the neighbourhood; and it was he who convinced the family of it, +though at first they could not understand or believe it at all. When +they saw, however, that Hugh, who used to like that his sisters should +wait upon him, and to be very slow in moving from his book, even at his +mother's desire, now went up stairs and down stairs for everybody, and +tried to be more independent in his habits than any one else, they began +to think that Holt knew Hugh's mind better than even they, and to +respect and love him accordingly. + +There was another proof of friendship given by Holt, more difficult by +far; and in giving it, he showed that he really had learned courage and +spirit from Hugh, or in some other way. He saw that his friend was now +and then apt to do what most people who have an infirmity are prone +to,--to make use of his privation to obtain indulgences for himself, or +as an excuse for wrong feelings; and when Holt could not help seeing +this, he resolutely told his friend of it. No one else but Mrs. Proctor +would see or speak the truth on such occasions; and when his mother was +not by, Hugh would often have done selfish things unchecked, if it had +not been for Holt. His father pitied him so deeply, that he joked even +about Hugh's faults, rather than give him present pain. Phil thought he +had enough to bear at Crofton, and that everybody should let him alone +in the holidays. His sisters humoured him in everything: so that if it +had not been for Holt, Hugh might have had more trouble with his faults +than ever, on going back to Crofton. + +"Do you really and truly wish not to fail, as you say, Hugh?" asked +Holt. + +"To be sure." + +"Well, then, do try not to be cross." + +"I am not cross." + +"I know you think it is low spirits. I am not quite sure of that: but if +it is, would not it be braver not to be low in spirits?" + +Hugh muttered that that was fine talking for people that did not know. + +"That is true, I dare say; and I do not believe I should be half as +brave as you, but I _should_ like to see you quite brave." + +"It is a pretty thing for you to lecture me, when I got down those books +on purpose for you,--those Voyages and Travels. And how can I look at +those same books, now and not----" + +Hugh could not go on, and he turned away his head. + +"Was it for me?" exclaimed Holt, in great concern. "Then I am very +sorry. I will carry them to Mrs. Proctor, and ask her to put them quite +away till we are gone back to Crofton." + +"No, no. Don't do that. I want them," said Hugh, finding now that he had +not fetched them down entirely on Holt's account. But Holt took him at +his word, and carried the books away, and succeeded in persuading Hugh +that it was better not to look at volumes which he really almost knew by +heart, and every crease, stain and dog's-ear of which brought up fresh +in his mind his old visions of foreign travel and adventure. Then, Holt +never encouraged any conversation about the accident with Susan, or with +Mr. Blake, when they were in the shop; and he never pretended to see +that Hugh's lameness was any reason why he should have the best of their +places in the Haymarket Theatre (where they went once), or be the chief +person when they capped verses, or played other games round the table, +in the evenings at home. The next time Hugh was in his right mood, he +was sure to feel obliged to Holt; and he sometimes said so. + +"I consider you a real friend to Hugh," said Mrs. Proctor, one day, when +they three were together. "I have dreaded seeing my boy capable only of +a short effort of courage;--bearing pain of body and mind well while +everybody was sorry for him, and ready to praise him; and then failing +in the long trial afterwards. When other people are leaving off being +sorry for him, you continue your concern for him, and still remind him +not to fail." + +"Would not it be a pity, ma'am," said Holt, earnestly, "would it not be +a pity for him to fail when he bore everything so well at first, and +when he helped me so that I don't know what I should have done without +him? He made me write to Mr. Tooke, and so got me out of debt; and a +hundred times, I am sure, the thought of him and his secret has put +spirit into me. It would be a pity if he should fail without knowing it, +for want of somebody to put him in mind. He might so easily think he was +bearing it all well, as long as he could talk about his foot, and make a +joke of being lame, when, all the while, he might be losing his temper +in other ways." + +"Why, how true that is!" exclaimed Hugh. "I was going to ask if I was +ever cross about being lame: but I know I am about other things, because +I am worried about that, sometimes." + +"It is so easy to put you in mind," continued Holt; "and we shall all be +so glad if you are brave to the very end----" + +"I will," said Hugh. "Only do you go on to put me in mind----" + +"And _you_ will grow more and more brave, too," observed Mrs. Proctor to +Holt. + +Holt sighed; for he thought it would take a great deal of practice yet +to make him a brave boy. Other people thought he was getting on very +fast. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +CONCLUSION. + + +The longer these two boys were together, the more they wished that they +could spend their lives side by side; or, at least, not be separated by +half the globe. Just before the Christmas holidays, some news arrived +which startled them so much that they could hardly speak to one another +about it for some hours. There was a deep feeling in their hearts which +disposed them to speak alone to the Ruler of their lives, before they +could even rejoice with one another. When they meditated upon it, they +saw that the event had come about naturally enough; but it so exactly +met the strongest desire they had in the world, that if a miracle had +happened before their eyes, they could not have been more struck. + +Holt's father wrote a letter to Mr. Proctor, which reached its +destination through Mr. Tooke's hands; and Mr. Tooke was consulted in +the whole matter, and requested by Mr. Proctor to tell the two boys and +Phil all about it. These three were therefore called into Mr. Tooke's +study, one day, to hear some news. + +The letters which Mr. Tooke read were about Hugh. Mr. Holt explained +that his son's best years were to be spent, like his own, in India; that +his own experience had made him extremely anxious that his son should +be associated with companions whom he could respect and love; and that +he had long resolved to use such interest as he had in bringing out only +such a youth, or youths, as he could wish his son to associate with. He +mentioned that he was aware that one lad now at Crofton was destined for +India-- + +"That is Lamb," whispered the boys to each other. + +But that he did not hear of any friendship formed, or likely to be +formed with advantage between his son and this young gentleman. + +"No, indeed!" muttered Holt. + +There was one boy, however, Mr. Holt went on to say, to whom his son +seemed to be attached, and concerning whom he had related circumstances +which inspired a strong interest, and which seemed to afford an +expectation of an upright manhood following a gallant youth. + +Here all the boys reddened, and Hugh looked hard at the carpet. + +This boy had evidently a strong inclination for travel and adventure; +and though his lameness put military or naval service out of the +question, it might not unfit him for civil service in India. If Mr. +Tooke could give such a report of his health, industry, and capability +as should warrant his being offered an appointment, and if his parents +were willing so to dispose of him, Mr. Holt was anxious to make +arrangements for the education of the boys proceeding together, in order +to their being companions in their voyage and subsequent employments. +And then followed some account of what these arrangements were to be. + +"Now, Proctor," said Mr. Tooke to the breathless Hugh, "you must +consider what you have to say to this. Your parents are willing to +agree, if you are. But if," he continued, with a kind smile, "it would +make you very unhappy to go to India, no one will force your +inclinations." + +"Oh, sir," said Hugh, "I will work very hard,--I will work as hard as +ever I can, if I may go." + +"Well: you may go, you see, if you will work hard. You can consider it +quietly, or talk it over with your brother and Holt; and to-morrow you +are to dine at your uncle's, where you will meet your father; and he and +you will settle what to write to Mr. Holt, by the next ship." + +"And you, sir," said Phil, anxiously--"Mr. Holt asks your opinion." + +"My opinion is that your brother can be what he pleases. He wants some +inducement to pursue his learning more strenuously than he has done +yet----" + +"I will, sir. I will, indeed," cried Hugh. + +"I believe you will. Such a prospect as this will be an inducement, if +anything can. You are, on the whole, a brave boy; and brave boys are not +apt to be ungrateful to God or man; and I am sure you think it would be +ungrateful, both to God and man, to refuse to do your best in the +situation which gratifies the first wish of your heart." + +Hugh could not say another word. He made his lowest bow, and went +straight to his desk. As the first-fruits of his gratitude, he learned +his lessons thoroughly well that night; much as he would have liked to +spend the time in dreaming. + +His father and he had no difficulty in settling what to write to Mr. +Holt; and very merry were they together when the business was done. In +a day or two, when Hugh had had time to think, he began to be glad on +Tooke's account; and he found an opportunity of saying to him one day, + +"I never should have gone to India if I had not lost my foot; and I +think it is well worth while losing my foot to go to India." + +"Do you really? or do you say it because----" + +"I think so really." And then he went off into such a description as +convinced Tooke that he was in earnest, though it was to be feared that +he would be disappointed by experience. But then again, Mr. Tooke was +heard to say that one chief requisite for success and enjoyment in +foreign service of any kind was a strong inclination for it. So Tooke +was consoled, and easier in mind than for a whole year past. + +Hugh was able to keep his promise of working hard. Both at Crofton and +at the India College, where his education was finished, he studied well +and successfully; and when he set sail with his companion, it was with a +heart free from all cares but one. Parting from his family was certainly +a great grief; and he could not forget the last tone he had heard from +Agnes. But this was his only sorrow. He was, at last, on the wide sea, +and going to Asia. Holt was his dear friend. He had left none but +well-wishers behind. His secret was his own; (though, indeed, he +scarcely remembered that he had any secret;) and he could not but be +conscious that he went out well prepared for honourable duty. + + +THE END + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Crofton Boys, by Harriet Martineau + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CROFTON BOYS *** + +***** This file should be named 22410.txt or 22410.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/4/1/22410/ + +Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Mary Meehan and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net +(This file was made using scans of public domain works in +the International Children's Digital Library.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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